After the Rain
by Traban16
Summary: Having died, Huey and the others now live in "peace" as Soul Reaper. But what will they do when the peace is shattered as a mysterious plot unfolds? Now they all try to uncover it all on their own, even fighting each other to do so. Full Summary Inside
1. In the Rain

**A/N: Sorry to everyone that read or liked "After the Rain", but I felt that it just didn't capture the essence and feel of either the Boondocks or Bleach. It felt more like one of those stories that people do just to make all the wrong in the series go away. That story was my first ever, and I will admit that it was my purpose to do such, but I will correct my dishonors with this rewritten version of it. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**This story is started roughly 50 years before the Visored Incident.**

**Summary: Huey and the others have died, and now they live in relative peace as Soul Reapers. Now after a long time, the peace they have is being destroyed, and they must uncover the reason, even if it means breaking the laws of the Soul Society. But, what if that includes an Invasion by Ryoka, investigating mysterious and sudden deaths, revealing secrets, and uncovering plots? What if all of it eventually led to even war with the last person they saw coming? So now, Huey and the others gear up to take on, not only the Ryoka that threaten the peace of Soul Society, but also a threat that almost everyone didn't see coming.**

_**Chapter 1: In the Rain**_

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><p>He stared in horror at the scene before him. Complete disbelief evident in his eyes and face. For the better part of him, Huey, just couldn't believe what was happening. Him, Huey Percival Freeman: Ex-Revolutionary, Martial Arts Master, Retired Domestic Terrorist, and all-around Non-Nigga, was standing there simply <em>watching<em> the slaughtering of everyone he cared about before his very eyes, and was powerless to stop it.

Now you may be asking yourself: Why is it that he was just standing there doing _nothing_? Well, it's because there was nothinghe _could_ do. He had basically given-up five minutes ago.

For you see, Huey Freeman was already dead.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback: 2 hours ago<em>

_Huey and friends were sitting around the living room of the Freeman home, either playing video-games "Riley, and Cindy), or sitting on the couch watching (Huey and Jazmine)._

Contrary to what many believed Huey was actually quite civil with those he had come to know as "friends". Not to say that he wasn't annoyed by them but in the six years he had come to know them, he _had_ to get used to them.

As he glanced around the room his eyes touched on all of them in the order in which they met.

His younger brother Riley was and will always be first. Not much had changed in the younger Freeman brother. Other than the new height of 5'4 and the more muscular body he hadn't changed much. He was still rude, crude, thuggish, arrogant, ignorant, and unable to speak proper English willingly… Wait where was he going with this again? … … OH Right! Changes… Well, he was less troublesome, and did act more intelligent when it was just him and people he knew well.

When questioned about it he said, _"Nigga gotta keep up street credit._ _What? I don't want niggas think I'm sum kinda nerd like yo gay-ass!"_

After the indefinite smack to the back of the head it was normal once again. Now-a-days Riley got into less trouble, _still_ didn't snitch, and kept his grades at least passing, or even higher, if someone got him to.

"_Nigga, what the fuck you lookin' at, gay-ass nigga? Yo bit- I mean, _wife_, sittin' right next to you." Riley said finally realizing that Huey was staring at him for over five minutes._

"_Nothing just thinking about some stuff." Huey said in an impassive tone._

"_Oh, what'cha thinking 'bout?" Jazmine asked in a child-like tone._

"_The past" He said as he kissed her softly._

She still had that untamable hair of her, but it was pulled back into puffball of an afro. Even though he didn't like it, when she was working or didn't fell like dealing with it, she would straighten her hair and make it silky smooth. It would run down her shoulders and back, giving her that untamed beauty look that not even he could argue with. Other than that, and her illustrious curves she basically stayed the same. She was still an upbeat and easy-going girl who is generally quite trusting, but also very impulsive, emotionally vulnerable, naïve. She was sweet, and innocent; always nice to others, but with exception of girls that would flirt with him. Then the demon they had all labeled as "Black Jazmine" came out. She would break a chick if she even sensed them looking at Huey with lust in their eyes.

"_Aww y'all wanna leave me out of the conversation." Cindy said in mock hurt._

"_No Cindy you just didn't say anything yet." Huey said to her with a smirk._

"_Hue-man, what're you smirking at, son? You makin' me feel unconformable." Cindy said with a shiver._

Cindy was the only person who Huey could mess with by flirting mockingly, without Jazmine kicking both their asses. Back in in grade school Cindy found a love note in her locker, but it had no name. When she had turned it over it was one of Huey's old homework sheets. She then freaked out and stayed away from and Jazmine. When the two cornered her one day she showed it to them. Huey, for the first time in life, laughed long and hard; passing out from lack of oxygen. But, Jazmine sat her down and told her it was Riley that had written the love note, and not Huey. After that, Riley and Cindy have been inseparable. But Huey still messed with her about "his" "_Forever undying love toward his vanilla goddess."_

Other than that she was the same. Curves in all the right places, like Jazmine, long blonde hair in a braided-ponytail and as tall as Riley, who grew tall for his age of fourteen years-old. In fact all of Huey's friends were about his height, just a bit shorter; although, the afro made him look much taller than he actually was.

"_You my sexy vanilla goddess with the juicy lips of red ruby." Huey said in all joking seriousness._

_Riley and Cindy both blushed red and hide their faces by turning back to the TV to finish playing the Wii. Huey and Jazmine laughed their asses while Riley mumbled something about "fake-ass niggas, and Mariah Carey"._

_They continue to play the game for a while, until they started a contest to see who could win the most._

_The scores were:_

_Huey: 10_

_Jazmine: 8_

_Riley: 5_

_Cindy: 5_

"_Man I suck at Wii. Hook up the X-box 360 and I'm go show ya what's really good." Cindy said after another lost to Huey._

But before anything could be said the front door was kicked-in and nigga, as Huey would later call them, with hoods on were storming the house. Huey and Riley jumped in action the moment the door was kicked-in. They had already gone through the dining room with the girls and were going up the back-way stairs. When they got to Huey and Riley's room they could hear people coming up the stairs. Huey, thinking quickly, took his katana and an old escape ladder from the closet and put in to the window.

"_Come on, now." Huey ordered as they were lining up._

"_Huey come on" Jazmine said as she and Riley were final down with Cindy._

Huey was forced to jump down the ladder when a hooded man kicked in the door and started shooting.

"_Run, niggas, _Run_!" Huey and Riley shouted at the same time to the two girls who were just standing there._

They ran alright, but didn't even get out of the yard before being surrounded by the hooded men.

"_Aww, hell naw, this shit ain't going down like that!" Riley said as pulled a knife and gun from hidden pockets, as he and Huey leapt into battle while protecting the girls._

The battle was short-lived as they were all captured and made to stand next to one another like prisoners of war with their hands tied behind their backs just as a teenage male stepped out of the shadows clapping his hands in mock applause.

"_Congrats, you killed some of my men and prolonged the inevitable for ten whole minutes, and here I thought Whitecrest would have made you two softer, but just like six years ago; I guess I was wrong, huh?" said a familiar voice in amusement and laced venom and hatred._

Huey and Riley's heads whipped up to see the two dumbasses before them. It was Cairo and Duey, just standing there smirking. Just as Riley was about to make a smartass comment Huey spoke with so much venom in his voice that a few of the Hooded men dropped dead from the fear and poison of his tone.

"_Cairo, what the HELL do you want this time!"_

"_Nothing just came to kill an old friend." he said pulling out a Desert Eagle and pressing the barrel to Huey's chest._

The screams at shout of disagreement were barely heard by him over the sound of the gun going off at his heart. As he died he heard them scream and cry, but all he could do before dying was two things: he turned to the three people next to him with a smile and said, "Love you all, especially you, Jazmine.", then he looked at Cairo with a smirk and with his last breaths of life said, "You's a bitch, nigga." He then fell over dead with that same smirk on his face as Cairo's face contorted in anger.

"_Damn him! I hate his ass! Even when dying and dead the nigga still does this shit! He pisses me the fuck off!" Cairo screamed as he kicked Huey's dead body repeatedly._

Just then Huey Freeman got up, but noticed that no one saw. He looked around and waved his hand, but no one noticed.

"_Alive from that and they ignore me." He said, but then Cairo spoke._

"_Alright, now I _could_ just let you all go, but y'all just go attack me, so who's next?"_

"_Nigga, you _best_ kill my black-ass and be _sure_ I'm dead, cause nigga if I come back I'm gonna put a bullet so far up yo ass you go be shitting out gun powder! Punk-ass, bitch-ass, gay-ass niggas!" Riley said with so much hate in his voice that it could choke on someone._

If looks could kill Cairo and Duey would have been dead as soon as Huey was shoot. Cairo and Duey looked at Riley, then the others and saw that they agreed with him, and if they could do it now, then they would've. Duey then took out his own gun, put it to Riley's heart, and then spoke a lame-ass rhyme.

"_It seems that we kill another, so go the way of ya brother. Don't worry, because in your death, you ain't comin' back like Macbeth."_

"_Nigga _please_ just shoot me, and shut the fuck up!" Riley said with no fear of death, but he was a bit afraid of another one of Duey's lame-ass poems._

Unnoticed by all, Huey was punching, kicking, and even clawing at Duey with tears falling freely from eyes. He was trying desperately to keep his brother and the others alive. Then all other sound was lost as the sound of the gun went off. Huey was wondering, while trying to kill the two, where the _hell_ was the police? After about three more minutes he stop, stood there watching as they shoot Cindy as well, and cried his eyes out the whole time.

* * *

><p><em><strong>End of Flashback<strong>_

He was still standing there bawling his eyes out as he looked toward Jazmine with the hope she'd somehow, just miraculously, escape with her life. But that seemed to no avail when Cairo walked up to her crying form, which was being held by a one of his crew.

"They're all dead." He mentioned off-handedly as he gestured toward the bodies, "Want to be next?"

"Go… to… _Hell_…" she spat out, quietly looking toward her friends' bleeding bodies.

"If you insist." He said simply, not even aiming and shot her.

Right then, Huey lost all hope. They were dead and he was still watching her body. He didn't even care when Cairo and his crew left laughing and celebrating. He just stood there and then fell to his knees crying.

He then started to take in other sites, such as the chain attached to his chest and the fact Riley was getting up... Wait Riley was getting up?

"Riley…?" he asked quietly.

"Nigga, what the _hell_?" Riley said looking at Huey.

Just then Huey noticed that he could kind of see through Riley and his brother too had a chain on his chest. He also saw that the others were getting up as well, but all their bloody bodies were still on the ground. And they had chains as well. Then came a thought he never thought he'd ever think.

"Oh _hell_ no! We died _Bleach_ style." Huey said as his friends came around him.

"What the hell?" Cindy said.

"We died and know we're souls." Huey states calmly.

"Actually we're Plus to be exact; spirits who have died. A chain, known as the Chain of Fate, protrudes from the chest and binds the plus to a location, object or person that they felt close to in life. The soul can move about freely if the chain is broken, but this also causes the chain to corrode. Normally, pluses are sent to Soul Society by Soul Reaper in a ritual called Soul Burial, or Konsō before this corrosion becomes significant. If the Chain of Fate is corroded entirely before a Konsō can be performed, a Hollow hole will form in the chest of the soul where the chain was once anchored. Such souls are driven mad and become evil ghosts known as Hollows. If the Chain of Fate is torn out deliberately, this hastens the process. Normally, a Plus leaves the Real world in his/her death without regrets and without losing anything, and waits for a Soul Reaper to transfer him/her to Soul Society via Soul Burial. However, when a Plus has strong ties binding it to the living world, it becomes anEarth-bound Spirit, or Jibakurai." A male voice said from behind them on the street.

They whirled around to see who was giving the explanation and was meet with one figure walking calmly toward them. It was a boy and he looked a bit too happy with being dead.


	2. The Explanation With Silver Haired Teens

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THIS FICTION**

_**Chapter 2: The Explanation and the Silver Haired Teen!**_

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><p>It was a boy and he looked a bit too happy with being dead. He was walking toward them, just as calm as could being with a small smile on his face; in the middle of the night.<p>

The boy looked to be about as old as they were, maybe a bit older. He was just as tall as Huey, and had unkempt hair style that reminded Huey of that guy Sasori from that show _Naruto_; the only difference was his hair was completely black. His eyes were black, and he wore a plain white t-shirt, blue jeans, and white shoes.

Huey could felt a slight pressure increase with each step the teen took to get closer. The unknown boy was smiling warmly enough to them, but the rest of his face her held an impassive look, though his eyes held a gleam of interest in them.

The boy stopped just six feet away from them as Huey's eyes locked onto him while he and Riley took up fighting stances.

"Howdy there, Plus people" the boy said cheerfully with a now huge smile, hands in the air.

"Niggas, who the hell is you?" Riley questioned impatiently while he and Huey were still in their stances.

As if the boy's smile was never there it fell. Huey and Riley tensed and were about to attack when the boy spoke in a tone that seemed to make the very air neutral and impassive.

"The one with the afro," he spoke as he turned his eyes to Huey, "I'm impressed it takes quite some time to use the Back-Hand Fist style effectively in combat, but just that stance shows how much you worked at it. Nice." He nodded respectfully while he turned to Riley.

"And you." he said pointing toward Riley, "Using the Galen style in its second form mixed with Street Fighter's style; difficult, but not helpful in battle, unless you're fighting someone of a similar style." He concluded, nodding sagely to himself as he crossed his arms.

When they blinked in confusion he was gone and a Chain hog-tied them all together. They heard chuckling behind them as they turned toward it, and were shocked to see the boy there in a crouching position showing that he had tied them with his Chain of Fate. He then slowly rose, still chuckling as he looked toward them and spoke in a dismissive tone.

"Know your place and don't demand or defend until it is called for. That should be one of the first lessons of discipline." He said as he then disappeared again, the chain dropping around them while he reappeared back in the spot he was before.

"You should have been polite and asked with some manners befitting the young ladies and gentleman I think you are." The boy said in a cheerful tone with his huge smile back in place.

"So if we may ask" Huey said cautiously, "Who are you?"

"My name is Traban Kensei Tousen, pleased to meet ya." The boy, now known as Traban, said lazily with small wave.

They relaxed a bit at the point of him not killing them, and exchanged names.

"So, is there anything else you can tell us?" Huey said after they relaxed.

"Well, I'll explain everything basically so take a sit cause we'll be here a while." Traban said and gestured toward the ground while he stood. They did as they were told and listened intently to his explanation.

"I've explained the Plus, so I'll explain the Earth Bound Spirit thing a little more." Traban said as they nodded.

"You see an Earth-bound Spirit, or Jibakurai, is a spirit who is not able to leave the World of the Living that easily because he or she regrets leaving something behind. For example, if the soul is bound to a place, he or she will stay at this place and refuse to pass on to Soul Society. An Earth-bound Spirit is more vulnerable to Hollows, as being bound to a certain area prevents them from fleeing as far as a normal Plus, and means that the Hollow would only need to search in a small area to find them."

"So, what's a Hollow?" asked Jazmine.

"Well, all Plus souls have a chain connected to their chest known as the Chain of Fate, as time passes by and they aren't sent to Soul Society via Konsō this chain erodes by growing small mouths that eat away at itself." Traban started as Jazmine and Cindy made disgusted faces, "This process is painful and starts out slow, but each erosion becomes more violent than the last until finally the chain is completely gone. At this point, the soul's body disperses into spirit particles and then reforms nearby as a Hollow. The body usually forms first, followed by the mask, unless the soul resists, in which case the mask might form first. There are other ways to force Hollowfication, such as prying open the hole in a Plus' chest by force. Another process of becoming a Hollow is by being attacked by a group of Hollows, and transform into a Hollow immediately afterwards."

"So how do you know so much about this?" Cindy asked Traban as the boy chuckled sheepishly.

"I was quite the Bleach fan… in "life". Also, I did much study and training in spiritual stuff, so my sensei had me learn this stuff for that training."

"Alright, nigga what the fuck is a Soul Reaper then?" Riley asked.

"Soul Reapers are spiritual beings that are responsible for regulating Souls between the Human World and the Soul Society. They act by sending Pluses to the Soul Society by Konsō and they are also responsible for fighting and purifying Hollows with their Zanpakuto. Some Souls have spiritual power which can enable them to enter the Shino Academy to become Soul Reapers."

"Zantac-toe, what's that?" Jazmine and Cindy asked in unison as Traban shook his head with a small chuckle.

"Zan-paku-to. Zanpakuto are the trademark weapons of the Soul Reapers. They're capable of cutting spiritual bodies; they are amongst the few weapons which can be used to combat Hollows. Each Soul Reaper carries a Zanpakuto, and each Zanpakuto is unique: as the swords are both reflections of a Soul Reaper's soul and power, and sentient beings unto themselves. The Zanpakuto's name is also the name of the living spirit that empowers the sword and lends its strength to the Soul Reaper who wields it. These beings can vary greatly in appearance and have their own distinct personalities which match their owner's. Normally, the Zanpakuto spirit can only be seen by its wielder. Otherwise, they dwell in their own "inner world", created within the minds of the Soul Reaper who wield them. As such, each Soul Reaper's inner world is drastically different from another Soul Reaper's and is unique to them. A Zanpakuto's spirit can bring its wielder into its inner world, though Soul Reapers can voluntarily achieve this through simple meditation." Traban said, and then stopped as he had to catch his breath. After a few seconds he spoke again.

"A Zanpakuto's shape and abilities are based on their Soul Reaper's soul. Once a Soul Reaper learns his/her sword's name, they are able to communicate with one another and grow stronger together. Zanpakuto are born with their Soul Reaper and they die along with their Soul Reaper. Soul Reapers use them in battle as a reflection of their heart. When released, they can display a vibrant power. They are one with the Soul Reaper, and they share a Soul Reaper's conviction. Another term for Soul Reaper is Shinigami which I'll use sometimes." He concluded.

"Wow" They all said at once as none of them would have though the simple, unkempt, and lazy looking boy would really know so much. Traban gave a sheepish chuckle as he sweat-dropped.

"Anything else?" Traban asked them kindly.

"Yeah", Huey stared with a raised eyebrow, he was still amazed the guy had and gave so much information, "You keep saying Soul Society, We didn't really watch or read Bleach, we just gone the game for Wii a couple of weeks ago, can you explain?"

"Why certainly, young Ichigo." Traban said like Kisuke Urahara, though the joke was lost on them.

"You see the Soul Society is the afterlife also called the "spirit world". It is meant to correspond to Heaven or Nirvana in Human belief systems. It is the place where most departed souls and the Shinigami live." He explained in a relaxed tone.

"Thanks" Huey said as Traban nodded.

"So, what now, brainy-ass nigga?" Riley asked impatiently as Traban shrugged with a sigh.

"You can wait here, or come with me." Traban said calmly as Huey raised a brow.

"And where are you going?" Huey asked as Traban was about to respond.

"Nowhere! And nobody move!" a voice shouted out behind them all.

* * *

><p>Everyone, but Huey and Traban whipped their heads around to see who else joined the party that was their death. The reason Huey and Traban didn't turn was because they could feel him before his shout.<p>

A teen much like them was jogging toward them. But, unlike them he wore the standard Shinigami uniform, but with a different color scheme. This consisted of a blue under-shirt, a white shirt with blue stripes, blue pants, white socks and sandals. The front of the robe-like shirt was opened, exposing his chest and tattoo, and tied it with a rope belt. He also wore a pair of fingerless black gloves that covered most of his forearms. The tattoo was the number "69". He was a tall, slightly muscular teen with sharp features, short light-gray/silver hair and brown eyes.

"Looks like the student caught up with me. I should have known." Traban commented nonchalantly as he turned toward the jogging boy.

"You were running from him? Why?" Huey asked with a raised brow. This guy Traban didn't seem like the type to just run from someone without a reason. In fact, he seemed like the type that wouldn't do something without a good reason.

"Well I would have let him Konsō me, but then I had sensed you all here." Traban stated while shrugging his shoulders, "I just thought I'd save him and Soul Society the trip of tracking you guys down. Who knows, maybe he'll get a reward out of all this?"

"I finally got you!" the silver haired boy said in an angry seriousness as he eyed everyone, "Now, all of you, come along peacefully."

* * *

><p>Before anymore could happen the eyes of the silver haired boy and Traban widened at what they were sensing. Huey and the others felt like the very air around them was being heavy. The boys brought two girls together into the middle a protective circle. Traban, Huey and the silver hair boy stepped forward to challenge what was lurking in the darkness of night. The boy then spoke as he grabbed the handle of the generic katana on his back.<p>

"Names?" He asked as he looked at them from the corner of his eyes.

"Traban Tousen" Traban said in all seriousness as he took up a stance.

"Huey Freeman" said Huey in an equally serious tone as he did the same.

"Kensei Muguruma" the silver haired teen, that was named Kensei, said while they awaited the enemy.

"Ha, that's my middle name." Traban said off-handedly as Kensei's eye twitched.

"That's so nice to know." Kensei said with sarcasm in his voice.

Traban shrugged his shoulders. He then jumped into the air twirling his chain full-speed as a black claw was slammed where he once was. Kensei drew his sword and stab the claw, causing the creature that was attached to it to scream out in pain.

The creature came out of the darkness and stepped into the light of the full moon. It was a lion-like monstrosity. Its face was covered with a monstrous looking white mask. Its fur or whatever you could call that was as black as the shadows it was hiding in. It let out a primal roar that rattled the trees nearby.

Before it could attack again Traban's chain was around its neck tightly. The other end swinging downward, toward Huey and Kensei. They knew instantly what Traban was planning to do. They caught the chain and waited for his signal. When he landed on the other side of the beast he said the one word that would end its life.

"Pull!"

And that they did. The chain brutally severed the head from the body. There was no bloody, awesome light show. No, it just simply disintegrated, but not before crying out in absolute pain and agony.

* * *

><p>"Boy, oh, Boy", Traban said lazily as if drained of all energy, even though he was standing there stretching, "That my young friends was a Hollow, and a very weak one at that."<p>

"He's right if a Chain of Fate can kill it then it was most likely E to D-class." spoke Kensei nodding as he sheathed his sword.

"Kensei you need to Konsō them now before more, much stronger ones, show up. You'll need to alert your superiors too, won't you?" Traban said as Kensei's eye began to twitch again.

"Fine, but don't tell me how to do my job, brat." Kensei agreed snappishly.

"You're an Academy student; it's not your job yet anyway, kid." Traban snapped back as he and Kensei got in each other's faces.

"Well, it's _going_ to be in five more years!" Kensei replied as Traban scoffed.

"Wow, isn't the Academy only _six_ years long?" Traban said, the sarcasm nearly palpable. Kensei and him stopped as they both sighed in unison.

"Yes, but more on that later; let's just get you all to Rukon."

At this Traban nodded, but everyone else was nervous. They had never been Konsō before. What if it hurt or something bad happened.

The first to step forth was Huey. He figured seen he'd never been dead before either that the previous thoughts didn't matter, and hell, he'd give anything a try at least once. But, he still needed to know.

"Goin' hurt?" he questioned.

"Nope" Kensei and Traban said as one with the former looking annoyed once again.

Huey then stepped up to Kensei. Kensei then unsheathe his sword. Huey's friends tensed and were about to attack when Traban raised a hand and gesture toward Kensei, who took the sword so the butt of the sword was facing Huey. It then started to glow a calming white. Kensei pressed the butt of the sword to Huey's forehead. Huey was suddenly engulfed in the white light and the next second vanished. This process was then repeated until only Traban was left. Traban glanced at the tree and then the shadows under it as he sighed, and spoke.

"So Old Man Yama still in charge?" he asked Kensei as the latter looked a bit surprised.

"Yeah, but how do you know that?" Kensei questioned suspiciously.

"I know a few people who've been in Soul Society awhile now." Traban answered glumly.

"Alright. See you around, Traban Tousen." Kensei said as Traban nodded.

And with that Traban was Konsō.

* * *

><p>Kensei now being alone sighed and looked seemingly at the tree.<p>

"You two assholes can come out now! And you too, Sensei." Kensei yelled hotly at the tree and then the shadows below it.

A second later, two boys in the same clothing as Kensei jumped out of the tree. Both with long blonde hair, though one's hair was straightened down his back, while the other was as if he'd just stepped out of a Hair Salon. Then a middle aged man stepped out of the shadows of the tree as if it was his front door. The straight blonde spoke first.

"He knew we we're here the whole time." He said lazily referring to Traban as the blond next to him nodded.

"Indeed, Shinji, it is most worrisome that he could sense us, much more even _you_, Sensei." The pretty boy said as the Sensei nodded thoughtfully.

"Quite well put, Rose, but I believe he and the Afro-head one will make great Shinigami once they are properly trained. Kensei, you will go and collect them from the first district." The sensei said in a stern, yet calm voice as Kensei nodded.

"Yeah, but those girls were total cuties, Kensei… and you didn't speak to them. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were like Rose here. Are you?" asked the straight haired blonde named Shinji.

Rose didn't even bat a pretty little eyelash at his friend questioning his sexual orientation. They knew it was true, but still hung out with him. They were two his truest friends and he didn't care if they joked about him playing for the other team. Besides even still that everyone at the Academy knew the girls still loved him more than Shinji, and that was revenge enough.

"No. He can swing that way if he wants, but not me. Besides, those girls had guys already. I could tell." Kensei said in a calm voice while shrugging his shoulders.

"Alright you three, that's enough. We all need to get back to the rest of the class and head back home. This Konsō lesson is over. Now _move it_!" the teacher said yelling his last command.

The three students jogged quickly down the street, leaving their teacher behind as he stared at the spot the group of souls had been. He sighed and shook his head.

"There're going be changes… I just know it." He said while disappearing in a blur, as if never there.

* * *

><p><strong>IN RUKONGAI:<strong>

Seven teens to the bright light of day and a town bustling with life. Or at least the closest thing to it. They were about to ask Traban where they were when Kensei showed up. With his arms outstretched and smiling warmly he said the thing that gave them a new place to call home.

"Welcome To Rukongai District Number One!"


	3. The Academy?

**Chapter 3: The Academy?**

* * *

><p>"Welcome To Rukongai District 1!" Kensei said warmly with his hands outstretched.<p>

"Hold the fuck up! Pause, Rewind and Play that shit back! What you mean "District 1"? I thought this was go be Heaven, nigga! Now you saying this just another fucking city and shit? For all that my black-ass could've stayed in Woodcrest with them uppity-ass white folks!" Riley exclaimed as he looked around the building and then out into the street filled with people.

"Wow! Is he _always_ like that?" asked Kensei and Traban as they blinked at Riley.

"Yes" Huey, Jazmine, and Cindy answered as Riley simply scowled and crossed his arms.

"Okay. I think I'll explain this one." Kensei said, shooting Traban a dark look, at which Traban just shrugged as he sat down with the others to hear the information.

"Okay you see;Rukongai, also known as the Rukon District is the largest portion of Soul Society and the most populated. It is divided into 320 districts, 80 in North Rukongai, 80 in West Rukongai etc., each numbered in descending order on how far they are from the center; this results in the higher-numbered, and farther, districts decaying into slums. Thus, while District One is peaceful and lawful, District 80 is a hardscrabble, violent, and crime-infested area. There is no indication that the Shinigami or any other agencies patrol the streets of Rukon, though I happen to know there is some form of organized crime, and as a result, the citizens are mainly responsible for their day-to-day welfare. Shinigami, have however, sometimes travel among the districts of Rukongai, which have many shops and market stalls offering goods for sale." Kensei explained without stopping for breath.

"Damn… Well, what's up with this district?" Riley asked as he knew they were in some kind of weird-ass Japanese afterlif that he and the others would have to adjust to.

"This district is District One also known as Lush Forest Peace, part of West Rukongai. It's plenty peaceful, so enjoy it while you can. Oh, and be at the Academy in the morning at sunrise. So you have about nine to ten hours to sleep, and trust me you'll need it. Okay, gotta go, Sensei wants me back, so see ya." he said in a hurry and with that the left.

* * *

><p>"Anything else you all might want to know?" Traban asked, seeing their confused faces when Kensei left in such a hurry.<p>

"Do you know anything about this Academy?" Huey asked Traban curiously while the others nodded.

"Yes, yes I do. The Academy or the Spiritual Arts Academy, which is also sometimes called the Shinigami Academy, is an institute that was founded by Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. Located in the Seireitei, the academy trains future Shinigami for each of the three military forces of Soul Society."

"The Seireitei? Three military forces?" Jazmine asked as Traban nodded.

"Okay, I'll explain the Seireitei first. Ya seethe** Seireitei,** or Court of Pure Souls is in the center of Soul Society. The Seireitei is a circular Japanese Castle with four main entrances; ten days walk apart, and each guarded by a Gate Guardian. These gates are called the **Black Ridge Gate** in the North, the **Blue Stream Gate** in the East, the **Red Hollow Gate** in the South, and the **White Way Gate** in the West. The gates are so heavy that it takes the full might of Jidanbo Ikkanzaka, one of the four Gate Guardians, to lift one. There are, however, doors within the gates for Soul Reapers and others to use more casually." He said stopping to catch his breath the continued.

"The walls of Seireitei are made of Sekkiseki or Spirit Reducing Stone, a rare type of stone known to negate all Reiryoku or Spiritual Power, similar to magnetic lodestones, which prevents the ability to gather Reishi, or Spirit Particles, underneath your feet to walk in the air whist within Seireitei. The stone also forms a spherical barrier around the city, extending above and below, stopping anything spiritual from breaching it from ground level, from the sky or from underground." He explained stopping once again to be sure they got it when they nodded in understanding he continued once more.

"The majority of the residents of the Seireitei, nobility and Soul Reaper alike, don't interact with the citizens of Rukon. However, residents of Rukon are allowed to apply for the Shino Academy, which is often the only escape from the poorest conditions of Rukongai." He concluded sullenly.

"So, basic it's like Earth? Get an education, and job or stay poor and live in poverty?" Huey asked as Traban nodded solemnly.

"Now the three military forces of the Soul Society are as follows: the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, the Stealth Force, and the Kido Corps." He stopped and then adorned a serious face.

"The Thirteen Court Guard Squads are the primary military branch of the Soul Society. It is also the main military organization that most Shinigami join after the academy. I'll let the teachers explain more on that when we join the Academy."

"Secondly, the Stealth Force, also called the Secret Mobile Unit/Corps, Special Forces, or Covert Ops, is the second largest organization that Soul Reapers join. It's basically ninja work most of the time, and again; I'll let the teachers explain more."

"Now lastly, the Kido Corps are a completely separate branch of the Soul Society's military that excels in the art of Kido and once again don't ask, because really it's the teacher's job to explain all this." Traban finished with a raised hand toward their curious faces.

"Fine" they all said in unison.

"Good because I'm tired and want sleep" he said with a yawn.

It was then they all realized just how tired they really were. They all lay on the beds that were prepared for them. With that they were asleep before any of them really even knew it. In what seemed like minutes, they were awaken by Kensei and told to follow him to the Academy. Before they could get directions he was gone. If it was not for Traban's knowledge of "Bleach" landmarks and helpful citizens they would have never found it.

They were greeted by a friendly old man at the Academy who was told they would arrive. He then placed them in an empty room and told to wait there. They waited for about ten minutes before another man, this one looking younger and more regal, told them to follow him. They did as was told without objection. A few minutes later he stopped by an open door and told them to former a line. Again they did as was told. He then went into the room and told the first person to step inside. That person was Traban.

When Traban glanced around the room he found that it too was empty, aside from wooden office desk, three people, and some sort of device that would blink a green, blue, or red light every second.

The three people were the man who had guided them to this room, and young lady looking in her early twenties, and another old man, but this one had a large walking stick. All three wore a white haori over the usual black uniforms, and all had a different kanji inside a rhombus on their haori. The lady had the kanji for "four", the younger man had the one for "six", and the old man had "one".

The lady had the appearance of a very youthful woman with blue eyes and black hair. She wore the standard Shinigami captain uniform apart from using an obi instead of the normal sash. Her hair was long and was worn as a large ponytail in front of her.

The younger looking man had the appearance of an elderly man with slate gray eyes, a gray mustache, and long gray hair. He wore the standard captain uniform along with a white scarf. He also wore a short-sleeved haori and fingerless black gloves that cover the back of his hand and loop up to attach at the base of his fingers.

The much older looking man had the appearance of an old man with red eyes a very long white beard, and long eyebrows. There were many scars on his head, the two most prominent being a pair of long, perpendicular scars above his right eye, suggesting numerous battles in his past. He wore the standard Shinigami uniform, but its size is greatly exaggerated. His haori was draped over his back instead of actually wearing it. Despite his old and frail appearance, Traban could tell he had a very muscular body.

After making it all the way to them the older man spoke, banging his walking stick on the floor to alert Traban to stop.

"Hello youngling, my name is Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto. I am the Head-Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and Captain of Squad One." The older looking man said, in a firm yet calm voice.

The young lady stepped forth with a warm smile, "I am Retsu Unohana, Captain of Squad Four, the Medical Relief Squad, and I'm very pleased to meet you." She said in a kind and pleasant tone.

The other spoke after her, in a regal voice that held amusement, "And I am Ginrei Kuchiki, Captain of Squad Six, and also Head of the Kuchiki Clan."

"You all do know that you gave out a lot of information for a person you just met, right?" Traban said with a huge smile and his cheerful voice.

The older man named Yamamoto nodded to Ginrei. Right then the man named Ginrei vanished from his place and reappear near door, closing it softly. Huey and the others grew worried for their new friend.

* * *

><p>Inside the room, Ginrei was back at his spot next to the Head Captain. Yamamoto then stepped forth saying something that shocked Traban to the core.<p>

"Cut the _crap_, Tousen, Genkai told us _everything_ about you and what you know. That includes your training and knowledge of the Soul Society, its individuals. We also we have a file on you from your time in the Human World. We have a file on _everyone_." When finished he banged his walking stick on the wooden floor.

Traban was shock his old sensei, Genkai, would tell them everything. _Everything_**!** And what's worst is they knew his life better than he knew theirs. That hurt his heart. Traban _prided_himself on knowledge, and now it was _against_ him and his new companions. What also hurt was the fact his former sensei told them about his training, about the _hell_ in which _she_ put him through. Although, now that he thought about it, she would do something like that and then call him a dumb-ass for even _thinking_that she wouldn't. Oh well, at least they didn't kill him or kick his ass... _yet_!

"Okay so what is this about then? And I'm guessing that device there is to measure the amount of energy I have to see what classes I'll be in." He said nonchalantly while pointing at the blinking device.

"Indeed, it will show us how much energy you're able to produce, and how much control you have over it. We know that in life you were able to use and control your power well, but that was then. Now, you may have higher or lower energy and your control may have slipped, so we still need to test you." Yamamoto said as Traban nodded.

"Alright then, but how's it work? I would very much like to know." Traban said as Yamamoto chuckled, but shook his head.

"It is too complicated to explain here, but here is the key point. The Energy Detector, when used, will show a light and number. The number is the amount of energy in your body, while the light shows the amount of control you consciously have over said energy." Ginrei explained as Traban raised a brow at the machine.

"Now if you'd please, step forward to be in the range of the Energy Detector." Unohana spoke in a kind and sweet voice, while gesturing to the device.

To this Traban shrugged and took two steps forward. The Head-Captain flipped a switch of the side of the device and a scanner beam shot out of the device and scanned Traban's body from head to toe. It made whooshing and beeping noises as Traban tried not to laugh, and after ten seconds of scanning him it stopped. Two things showed up on the devices panel. It showed the number '2569' and the light blinked red. Ginrei and Unohana wore faces of shock while Yamamoto merely nodded sagely. Traban was, for a first time greatly confused.

"_What's going on?"_ Traban thought.

"It would seem that Lady Genkai was right when she said you would impress us, but I never thought this. I expected at the best a '1500' or '2000' with a green or blue light. It would seem as though the tor- I mean training she put you through has been useful indeed." The Head Captain spoke in a sage-like tone as Traban raised a brow.

"What do you mean? And why are those two gaping like fish?" Traban asked while pointing toward the other two Captains.

"It's because of this." Yamamoto said while pointing to a chart on the side wall that Traban had failed to notice. One side explained the numbers while the other explained light colors.

**The Number Chart read the following:**

**Reishi levels: 1 to 5****,****000 on record**

**Academy Student**= **1** to **100**

**Academy Graduate**= **100** to **500**

**Unseated Officer**= **500** to **750**

**Seated Officer**= **750** to **1,000**

**3****RD**** Seat to ****Lieutenant**= **1,250** to **1,500**

**Captain**= **2,000** to **5,000**

** The Color Chart read the following:**

**Green**= **No** to **Low** **Control**

**Blue**= **Average** to **Low-High** **Control**

**Red**= **High** to **Perfect** **Control**

* * *

><p>Traban after reading the chart started dancing around the room like an idiot.<p>

"Finally_! Ten years training with that crazy old hag and now it's _finally_ good for _something_! All those years of using energy to stand on a _needle_ with my _index finger_ or fighting the crazy bitch _blindfolded_ to sense her energy! Now it's _finally_ gonna pay off and all it took was me… finally... dying. Crap…" _Traban thought as the Head Captain then spoke, interrupting his thoughts.

"Alright that is enough. You start taking your classes as soon as the Academy lets in." Yamamoto said as Traban stopped and thought.

He remembered the whole time they were walking around that all the doors were open and the rooms empty_. "Why the _hell_ didn't I notice that _before_ now? I'm letting my skills slip in this time of leisure. That old hag _beat_ it into me that I have to pay attention to every little detail."_ He then nodded, promising himself to pay closer attention to things from now on.

"You will be placed within Regular classes instead of the Accelerated classes, if that is fine with." Ginrei said in his regal, yet impassive tone.

"Fine by me, it just means less work and more time." Traban said with a shrug.

After some more conversation and a deal or two they said their good-byes, and let him out as they called the next person in. The process was repeated until everyone had been done. The three Captains then lead them to the dorm rooms they'd be staying. When they were there Unohana explained that genders would be separating from there until classes were to begin. Ginrei then told them that they had about five minutes before they had go to find their own dorm rooms. The Captains left and the group talked amongst themselves.

"So what'd you get Huey?" Traban asked curiously while the others turned to Huey.

"2046 and Blue" Huey said with a while shrugging his shoulder, "You?"

"2569 and Red, Riley?" Traban replied and turned to the younger Freeman brother.

"133 and Green, Cindy?" Riley said with a shrug as he turned to Cindy.

"136 and Green, Jazzy?" Cindy replied looking toward her best friend.

"107 and Blue." Jazmine admitted as Traban nodded with his arms crossed.

"I guess it was because Huey and I have previous training in Spirit Energy that we're higher than you all." Traban explained while nodding. Then his face turned to a stone serious as he spoke again.

"Listen to me. Don't tell anyone about your scores, or this day. Okay? And I mean _no one_." Traban spoke in a very serious tone that slightly scared everyone, even Huey. Huey and the others could tell that whatever reason he didn't want others to know must have been an extremely good one, so they nodded in agreement.

"Well we should probably get going before we get in trouble." Jazmine said as Cindy and Riley scoffed while Huey nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>They then when their separate ways; with the three boys going left and the two girls going right. The boys were greeted by the same old man they met when they got to the Academy. Apparently he was the boy dorm leader. He led them to two rooms that were right next to each other. Traban took the one on the left, while Huey and Riley got the one to the right. The rooms weren't special just hard wood floors, like basically every other building, with two beds, dressers, desks, bathrooms. They found their Academy uniforms on their beds, and they got dressed while the old man said classes would begin in the next 10 minutes.<p>

The girls had the same experience except their dorm leader was a kind old lady. Their rooms were the same, with the only difference being the fact it had two mirrors in the rooms. Jazmine and Cindy shared a room that was next to two girls named Matsuri and Karin. They then noticed the uniforms placed them on and were told by Mora that the Academy would start in 10 minutes. They sprinted to the open space in the front grounds and met up with the boys.

They all asked where to go, and when to the front office to be assigned their classes. They compared classes and found that Huey and Traban had the same complete schedule, Jazmine had 2 classes none of the others did, and Riley and Cindy had the same schedules.

**Schedules:**

Huey/Traban:

Homeroom: 2A

1st Class: 1st Year Orientation

2nd Class: Zanjutsu **(Swordsmanship)**

3rd Class: Kido

4th Class: Hoho _**(Agility)**_

5th Class: Hakuda **(****Hand-to-hand combat****)**

6th Class: History

* * *

><p>Jazmine:<p>

Homeroom: 2A

1st Class: 1st Year Orientation

2nd Class: Healing Kido/Kido

3rd Class: Medical Practice/Hoho

4th Class: History

5th Class: Zanjutsu

6th Class: Hakuda

* * *

><p>Riley and Cindy:<p>

Homeroom: 2A

1st Class: 1st Year Orientation

2nd Class: Hakuda

3rd Class: History

4th Class: Hoho

5th Class: Zanjutsu

6th Class: Kido

* * *

><p>They look at the schedules a minute before Huey spoke.<p>

"Okay I think I need to say this. This is a whole new life, a whole new chance to start over, to be even better people. I think we should take advantage of that. I'm going to use this chance to get stronger so I can protect you all from what happened in life from happening again. Who's with me?"

They start at Huey in shock, even Traban. He may not have known him for more than two days at the most, but even he _knew_ Huey Freeman didn't do things like touching speeches or touching _anything_ for that matter. Riley then stepped forward after getting over his shock.

"Alright, I'm with ya. I'm not go get into trouble… well, much trouble, and I'm gonna kick ass at this school and my job as a Soul Reaper!" Riley proclaimed.

"Fine, I'll get even smarter, so I can protect the weak, just like I did in life." Traban said as he stepped up to Huey and Riley, with Jazmine rolling her eyes and doing the same.

"And when you've all won the fight and are dying messes, I'll put these healing classes to some good use to patch you guys up." Jazmine said as Huey raised a brow at her, but then shrugged because he'd probably need it while Traban pouted and muttered something about no faith.

"I'm go be there fighting with young Reezy, and we go shut it up, _and_ down" Cindy said as she hugged Riley from behind, with him blushing as Traban raised a brow and snickering.

* * *

><p>They walked passed all the bustling students toward Class 2A with new found determination. They would be the best and <em>no one<em> would stop them.

When they reached the classroom they found that it was actually a lecture hall with over 150 other students of all different sizes, shapes, colors, and _species_ apparently. A man at the podium at the bottom waved them in with a smile. They all found seats in the front two rows near each other.

Traban looked around and saw Kensei with his own two friends talking. They were the same two he had sensed in the tree before his Konsō. He then thought of how he and the rest of his new companions must have been placed in the year that was already running, but what worried him was how much they missed and if any of it was important. The man at the podium, who must have been the teacher, then spoke quieting everyone and bring the attention directly to him.

"Good Morning everyone and welcome to the third day, or for _some_" he said, looking directly at them, "your _first_ day to First Year Orientation! My name is Tobi Gonzo, but you can call me Tobi-sensei or Gonzo-sensei, either or is just fine!"

And with that their first day began. It all started to fall together from there. The new adventures, and the roads that would shape their destiny, but little did they know that they would cause a butterfly effect. From that day they would change the fate of those they would come in contact with.


	4. Do It Up, Academy Style!

**Chapter 4: Do It Up, Academy Style**!

* * *

><p>They walked passed all the bustling students toward Class 2A with new found determination. They would be the best and <em>no one<em> would stop them.

When they reached the classroom they found that it was actually a lecture hall with over 150 other students of all different sizes, shapes, colors, and _species_ apparently. A man at the podium at the bottom waved them in with a smile. They all found seats in the front two rows near each other.

Traban looked around and saw Kensei with his own two friends talking. They were the same two he had sensed in the tree before his Konsō. He then thought that he and the rest of his new companions must have been placed in the year that was already running, but what worried him was how much they missed and if any of it was important. The man at the podium, who must have been the teacher, then spoke quieting everyone and bring the attention directly to him.

"Good Morning everyone and welcome to the third day, or for _some_" he said, looking directly at them, "your _first_ day to First Year Orientation! My name is Tobi Gonzo, but you can call me Tobi-sensei or Gonzo-sensei, either or is just fine!" The man, Tobi-sensei said with a hardy laugh.

"Now that all of you are here, I'll once again state the main purpose of this class. This class is for you to get to know one another. The people in this room will be with you in this homeroom, and the rest of your time here in the Academy. Now after this first week we will be using the time to get into groups and to practice the skills you will be learning in the other classes. But first, I will recite the Soul Reaper credo. This will be your pledge for the next six years and the rest of your lives as Soul Reapers." Tobi-sensei said, then stepped in front the class and asked them to stand, to which they obliged. He raised his right hand, with them doing the same. He spoke the solemn oath of all Soul Reapers.

"Do not seek beauty in battle. Do not seek virtue in death. Do not make the mistake of considering only your own life. If you wish to protect that which you must protect… slice the enemy you must defeat from behind." He said with the utmost seriousness as the students nodded.

"Now all of you get to know each other while I go see the other instructors." He said leaving out of the room.

* * *

><p>Huey and the gang went to the only other person they knew in all the class: Kensei. What caught them off guard was that Kensei and his two friends were doing the same, coming to them. They met halfway and stood in line as to introduce them. Huey and his friends went first. Kensei then started to introduce his friends, starting with the person next to him.<p>

"This here is Shinji Hirako." He pointed toward the boy next to him.

Shinji had hair that was very long, reaching down to the lower part of his back. He had brown eyes and a facial expression which revealed his upper teeth. He gave a lazy wave as a greeting.

"This is Rojuro Otoribashi, but you can call him Rose." Kensei said jabbing his thumb toward "Rose".

Rose had purple eyes, long, wavy, blond hair and a perpetually bored expression. He gave a curt bow in greeting.

"This here is Love Aikawa."

Love was the tallest of their group. He has brown eyes and a thick, black, classic, rounded afro style with long sideburns, which added further to his rather incredible height. Love wore a pair of dark-lensed sunglasses mirrored sunglasses. He waved and looked toward Huey

Just about everyone looked at the two in complete silence. That silence was then shattered as Traban put an arm around both of them and proclaimed, "Afro Buddies!"

He was then slapped to the ground, in the back of his head, by both Afro-head Shinigami-in-training who gave him annoyed looks. He pulled his face from the ground only to see that he fell to the feet of someone, who was wearing some really cool clogs and no socks. He got up and saw that the person was standing in front of him with a hand outstretched and a small nervous smile on his face.

"Kisuke Urahara, at your service" the boy said as Traban shook his hand and told him his name.

Kisuke Urahara was a tall light-skinned man with messy, light, bleached blond-colored hair and gray eyes. Traban looked to the side of the blond and saw a much taller male.

"And I am Tessai Tsukabishi. It is a pleasure to meet you." The tall guy said in a completely respectful tone with a small bow of respect. Traban raised a brow at the action, but bowed back.

Tessai was a tall, muscular, lightly tan-skinned older looking teen. His hair was corn-rolled and he had a light mustache, which was connected to his long sideburns. He wore a pair of rectangular-shaped glasses.

"There was another of my own group, but she is in the Accelerated Class. Her name is Yoruichi Shihoin." said Kisuke with a small smile.

"Aye, is she fine?" Riley asked as he noticed Traban talking to the two, but was then smacked in the back of his head by a fuming Cindy.

"I don't know the only ones who know her are Kisuke and Tessai there." Kensei said with a shrug at seeing Traban's questioning look, and Huey's secret one.

"Okay then, like Tobi-sensei said; let's all get to know each other better." Traban said rubbing the back of his head with Riley doing the same.

They then told each other more about one another and were becoming fast friends.

* * *

><p>Huey was a highly precocious intelligent person who recognized and detested the absurdities (both obvious and perceived) of the society in which he lived while actually alive. His cynicism often touched upon subjects such as politics, the media, businesses and corporations, African-American culture and American society as a whole.<p>

Traban was another case. Although he was usually seen as a laid-back, jovial fellow, Traban also showed a deceptively cunning and serious side when the situation warrants it. He commonly used the idle conversation and outward concern as an act of distracting the people he's observing, something which Kisuke pointed out. Despite his care-free attitude, he almost always spoke politely, but was sometimes sarcastic. He was usually random and played most subjects of topic off as idle chit-chat. He was told that he was very much like Kisuke by Tessai, who had known the latter previously so quite some time.

Riley was told, by Traban and Kisuke, that he was a highly impressionable person who tightly embraced the stereotypical "gangsta" lifestyle. Though they did say he was also intelligent, when he wants to be. They also said that he and Cindy share many of those aspects.

Jazmine Dubois was a typical naive and innocent bi-racial girl, which to her chagrin, made her an object of ridicule for Huey and Riley in the past. She is one of the kindest people most of them have _ever_ met. Traban then stated that she and a person he knew in life could be long lost twins, because of appearance and personality.

Love was a laid-back and easy-going guy, usually said to read manga in his spare time, more often than not, spoiling a piece of the story by quoting lines and explaining what the character meant by it in a dramatic, tough-guy demeanor, almost as if he was an actor rehearsing movie lines. As with most of his friends, Love's attitude switched from serious to carefree within a moment's notice, something Huey noted was somewhat like Traban. Love believes in respect and maintaining the peace, quick to uphold those standards when no one else will, something Huey and others stated that they respect him for.

Rose, a seemingly foppish man with a disinterested air, was one of the more laid-back members of the group. He was frequently fixing his hair and chatting with Love rather than paying attention to what is going on around him. He said that he was interested in music and often discusses what he had recently heard with Riley and Cindy. He also enjoys reading manga, a pastime shared with Love, although he became irritated when Love spoiled the storyline for him on the newest one they had gotten only three days ago.

Shinji was somewhat comical, adding a bit of levity to situations that were otherwise serious. He had a flippant attitude under normal circumstances and seemed to like annoying his associates, which usually earned him a slap from one of them, mostly Rose. Although, he was quick to make faces or insults at their expense, he said that he'd die for any of them since they seemed like "alright people". He also appeared to have a history of referring to cute girls he meets as his "first love"; complete with a deadpan look on his face despite the obvious lie, to which Love said that he does it often when he did it to Cindy and Jazmine, only to get knocked around by Riley and Huey. He also apparently enjoys listening to music along with Rose.

Tessai was a quiet, stern, and level-headed man who often acted as a source of discipline to anyone of mischievous behavior, but had a sentimental side. He was, apparently, very loyal to Kisuke; to which Riley muttered "gay", but not loud enough for the Tessai to hear.

They spent nearly the whole time talking about whatever came up, until Traban remembered he wanted to ask Kensei something.

"Kensei, how far did you guys get in the three days?" Traban asked with his friend looking curious at this.

"Well, for the other classes, this will be the first day. The only things we talked about are the minimal basics, which I'm sure you told them." At this Traban nodded.

"We also took a small trip to do Konsō on a few souls in the Human World, but that was for the summer early starts, which was only twenty other people; including myself, Shinji, and Rose." Kensei said as Traban rubbed his chin in thought before nodding.

"Okay so the first year is only _now_ being officially started?" Traban asked with Kensei nodding, "Good."

With the rest of the time they saw who was with whom. It seemed that Kisuke was the only one to share Traban and Huey's schedule. Rose, Love, Kensei, Riley, and Cindy had the same as well. Tessai was placed in Advanced Kido classes for his proficient and ability in the art. Kisuke then told Jazmine that her schedule met she would be a Healer of Squad 4, to which she accepted. In the last five minutes the teacher returned and said to prepare to leave.

As they we're leaving Kisuke guided Huey and Traban to the Zanjutsu class. Riley and the rest walked with them on their way to class, when Riley bumped into someone.

"Aye! Son, watch where you goin'!" he yelled to the person _he_ bumped into.

It was a young man that looked about as young as Riley. He had on normal attire, and did not where the Academy uniform. He had a distinctive haircut and wore black sunglasses with a sleeveless shirt, showing a dragoon tattoo on the upper part of his arm. Traban at seeing this grew a look of rage as he growled out one word.

"Yakuza!" Traban growled out as he glared at the tattoo.

"Yeah! What of it?" the boy said getting up facing Traban while the others were confused.

"Hooded men shot, and killed me, because _apparently_ I was in the way of their _intended_ target. At least, that's what that lame-ass poet guy said, except in some stupid-ass rhyme that I punched him in the face for. One of the hooded guys had a Yakuza tattoo, and he was the one that did the deed of ending my life." Traban said as Huey and the other's eyes widened.

Huey then told Traban and the others everything about the events of that night that Traban and Kensei had found them dead. He then was about to apologize when Traban raised a hand.

"No need for apologies, because now I have a lot of new friends and a new life, so I should be thanking you" Traban said as Huey raised a brow, but said nothing.

"Well the Yakuza would shot ya, but some members go rouge and join other groups. By the way the names Tetsuzaemon Iba and I'm not really sure how I got this tattoo, but I know it was well I was small child." The new found boy said as Huey caught the gleam in Riley and Cindy's eyes as they bombarded the boy Tetsuzaemon with questions.

After that introduction he was taken away by Riley and Cindy, who had a million questions about the _'real gangsta life'_. It was luckily for Tetsuzaemon that he wasn't to start school for a long time from now, as he had only come to the school with his mother. Apparently he was bored and wanted to see the Academy while his mom had business there.

* * *

><p>From there they all let for their first class. Huey, Kisuke, and Traban entered a room that was more like a dojo than a classroom. The teacher was an old man with a wooden kendo blade in hand.<p>

"Welcome to your first lessons in Zanjutsu. Now who can tell me what that is? Yes you in the back there."

"**Zanjutsu** (swordsmanship) is the most used form of combat among Shinigami, since their Zanpakuto is the most effective way of dispatching any given opponent. As the name suggests, it involves using a Zanpakuto." A random student answered as the teacher nodded.

"Good, now who knows what a Zanpakuto is? Yes you with the afro." The teacher said pointing his wooden Kendo blade at Huey, who's eye twitched in annoyance. Huey gave the same thing Traban had told them while still in the Human World. Traban was rather impressed that Huey had remembered that, let alone word-for-word.

"Excellent. Now Zanjutsu is an art form, not just swinging around a sword like... like..."

"A bunch of crazy niggas." Huey and Traban finished for him in unison, with him nodding his thanks.

"Now grab a kendo blade and pair off into weight groups. I'll show you the Academy style, but next year you'll get a generic dull blade to use and will create your own style unique to yourself." He said as he started instructing them in stances and movements, correcting them each time they made a mistake. Pretty soon the class was over and they head to the Kido class practice grounds.

* * *

><p>It was a wide closed-off field which had targets and dummies around. After five minutes the instructor walked in with a stack of papers handing them each one as she passed them, since she had them all lined-up against the back wall of the building. She then smiled at them in that, "I'm crazy as <em>hell<em> and would like to torture you!" way.

"These are the Kido you all will be learning this year, but before we start with all that, who hear knows what Kido are? Yes you, mop-top." She said pointing to Traban, who twitched in annoyance at the nickname.

"Kido is the technique that Soul Reapers use to focus their energy into a wide variety of magic spells that can serve many purposes, such as healing, defense, or combat. It is one of the four basic Shinigami combat forms." Traban said as her smile grew.

"Very good, mop-top, now what are the types of Kido?" She asked him.

"They are Hado, Bakudo, and Healing." Traban said smugly as she twitched, but her smile stayed.

"Okay now explain each, smart-ass." She said as he nodded with a smirk.

"Yes, Sensei. Hado are offensive spells which harm an enemy or cause damage to objects. Bakudo are a broad category of defensive spells which block/repel attacks or freezes enemies in place. Healing Kido don't have names, numbers, or incantations to cast and simply heal the target. There are also other Kido made for other things or situations."

"Very good, smart-ass. Tell me what is used to power a Kido?"

"Spirit Energy, and the incantation, Sensei." Traban replied as she nodded.

"So what's Reiatsu, mop-top?" She asked as she saw him twitch again.

"Reiatsu, or Spirit Energy, is a power aligned with the spiritual sensitivity and willpower of the user. It is used by Shinigami to provide power for their various feats and to effectively channel the powers of their Zanpakuto. It can also be used to cast Kido. Reiryoku, or Spiritual Power, can even be coalesced into a physical form and thrown or shot as a projectile. As a display of potency, spiritual beings have the ability to incapacitate the opponent's movement and simultaneously frighten them, by means of dispersing Reiryoku into the air. The aforementioned ability is known as Reiatsu, or Spiritual Pressure, possessing power that could be literally felt within the atmosphere."

"You know, for a mop-top, you're alright, smart-ass." She said with a smirk as he twitched again, but forced a weak smile.

"And why, if I may ask, is that?" Traban said trying very hard to keep his cool while Huey and Kisuke laughed quietly.

"Because, in five minutes, you went over everything we going to cover today and tomorrow. But now we have an hour and a half to practice the first Kido." She said while clapping her hands as Traban face-faulted with Huey and Kisuke laughing out loud.

"Now on these sheets are Hado 1-15, Bakudo 1-15, the basics of Healing Kido, and some minor Kido use. The last of which will be practiced toward the end of class, and trust me you'll know why." She finished with a dark chuckle that made them look at her crazy.

"Now would the first vict- I mean _student_ please come up and help me demonstrate. Yes you, Sandy." She said pointing to Kisuke, who looked confused. Mainly, because he didn't raise his hand, but like a fool- I mean, good student he obeyed.

"The first Bakudo is number 1; the incantation is on the paper." She said as she stood in front of Kisuke with an arm outstretched toward him, with her opened palm at his torso.

"_Disintegrate, you black dog of God! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! _**Bakudo #1, Sai**!" She recited as they read the Kido from their papers.

The effects were instantaneous as Kisuke's arms went behind his back as if he were hand-cuffed and he fell forward on to the floor with his ass in the air. Traban would have made a joke about this, if he wasn't thanking whatever God she was referring to, for letting that _not_ be _him_ right now. The teacher then spoke breaking his prayers as she gazed over them with a predatory look and grin.

"Next is the first Hado is also number 1, which Sandy here has _graciously_ asked to help me show." All the while she was talking Kisuke was crawling like a worm to get away from _her_.

"_She's going to _kill_ me_." Kisuke thought as he tried desperately to get away.

"Where are you going, Sandy?" She asked sweetly as she slammed her foot on top his back to keep him in place.

"_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! _**Hado #1, Shu**!"

As soon as the final words left her mouth a small halo of Spirit Energy formed at her palm. It shot out at Kisuke and pushed him from under her foot to the other side of the room in which a wall stopped him from going further. The class looked from Kisuke, as his body slowly slid down the wall, to the instructor, who was cackling evilly. They all thought the same thing.

"_Please _Lord_, let this _just_ be Kisuke_!"

The rest of the class passed the same except with students shooting each other across the room, being on the ground with their asses in the air, at which Traban and Huey made several jokes, or blowing themselves up. The last twenty minutes was learning and using Healing Kido on the classmates who couldn't walk. Traban and Huey, since were okay, healed Kisuke. The teacher dismissed the class until the next tor-, I mean lesson tomorrow with another dark chuckle that made them scared for their lives.

* * *

><p>After rushing from the insane lady, not even knowing her <em>name<em>, they went straight to Hoho class. The classroom was more like a giant hallway than anything. It stretched on out to a field. The sensei was at the opposite end of the field against a wall reading some form of book. He then looked up at his new class and shut the book. Before any of them could blink the door behind the class was being shut loudly. The students looked toward it to see the same man who was once sitting on the grass, now at the door which was a good 100 yards or so from each other.

"_Incredible! I _barely_ saw a _flash_ of white pass me_!" Traban, Kisuke, and Huey thought in awe at the man's speed and control of it. The others were just, if not more speechless than him. It was then that the man coughed and spoke in a lazily voice.

"Hello, I'm your sensei for Hoho or more commonly known as Shunpo_**-**_class. My name is Doshiro Hatake, but you can, call me Do-sensei. Now I'll explain everything so follow me to the field and pick your jaws up off the floor." The man said, moving pass them with them following his instructions. When on the field he spoke again.

"Now the skill I displayed for you all was known as Hoho. Hoho, also known as the Step Method, is an important skill for most Shinigami. The agility and speed of Hoho can be enhanced and improved through mastery of it, concentration, and training. The foremost practitioners of this technique are those assigned to the Stealth Force. Shunpo, or Flash-step, is the most commonly used Hoho technique. However, there are variations even within Shunpo and other Hoho techniques that only master Hoho practitioner can use."

"Flash-step is a movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow, if not trained. The focal point that determines the basis of this technique is speed. As speed is the main point of the technique the method is best characterized by how fast one can get from point A to point B in the least amount of steps. Training and skill are what determines how fast a user of Flash-step can move; those of little skill in the technique or those who haven't used it an extended amount of time would obviously be out of practice, causing those individuals to be considerably slower, which requires the use of more steps to move the same distance and become winded far easier in a shorter amount of time. The Quincy variation of is Hirenkyaku, but no need to explain that."

"Senka, or Flash Blossom, is a special Shunpo technique where one moves to their opponents back. Directly attacking and sealing one's Chain Binding and Soul Sleep in one strike. The movement is so fast that an opponent may not be able to tell whether he was attacked from the front or the back and even an outside observer may find it impossible to tell what the movements are if not properly trained."

"Last technique is, Utsusemi, or Afterimage Step, which allows for a movement at speeds so great one leaves behind an afterimage. The afterimage may even appear to have taken damage."

"Now we need not explain anymore for the next three years; unless I'm impressed by your progress, or you need a lot of help." Do-sensei finished while Flash-stepping to table with a huge box and was back before most even knew he moved. The only ones to have seen him flash there and back were Huey, Traban, and Kisuke, but that was mainly due to years of training on each of their parts.

"_Dammit! He makes _my_ speed look like a _slug_ goin' in _slow motion_! How the _hell_ could that be? Genkai-sensei said I was one of the fastest… on Earth… _dammit!" Traban thought as he realized the Soul Society was in an _entirely_different league.

Do-sensei then dumped the contents of the box on to the floor. Now on the floor were a lot of… ankle bands? At the questioning looks from his students Do-sensei explained.

"Since today is your first day we will only see what you can do and then move from there later. As of now, I only want you to strap one of these to your ankle. It will monitor how far you can go in one Shunpo and trust me it _will_ know." He said the end with a devilish smirk. At this Huey and his two new friends, Traban and Kisuke, moved to the back in fear of _another_ crazy sensei. The others had formed a line and an arrogant looking boy was walking toward Do-sensei with a prideful smile plastered on his face. He then spoke in one of the most arrogant voices Traban had _ever_ heard, and trust him, he's heard _a lot_.

"Don't blink sensei or you might miss me, Koga Inzu." The boy said while placing the device on. The sensei rolled his eyes at the cocky kid.

"Yup, he _defiantly_ deserves what he's about to get." Do-sensei thought with a mental smirk.

"Alright then, I won't because I _defiantly_ don't want to miss _this_, kid. Now begin."

The boy then moved as a blur… a single millisecond before his face was painfully introduced to the grass-covered ground. The funniest part was he didn't even get _one inch_ from the starting point. The class was at first stunned, but quickly broke into laughter as the cocky kid made a total ass out of _himself_. The teacher then said that the device would forcefully stop the energy going to your feet and legs. He then said that this was to see who had good control and who didn't.

Then it was their turn to come forward and fall on their face. It was hard to Flash-step the first few times, but as the class went on it became easier, though not by much. Traban seemed to have gotten it down to a science, which he said he'd tell them later. When class ended Do-sensei then collected the bands off the students and ushered them to leave.

Outside of the class Kisuke nudged Traban, who glanced back at him.

"So, how did you get Shunpo so easily? You said you'd tell us." Kisuke said as Traban nodded.

"Well, after the first three times of my face meeting either wood or grass I thought of what I was doing wrong. I realized that sending a constant stream of spirit energy to my legs and feet was the wrong way to go, so I lessened it with each try afterward. Then as I got further I came to the conclusion that sending singular bursts timed before I make the step help, but I'm not quite sure why." Traban explained as Kisuke and Huey nodded, though they and he still looked confused. They'd have to talk to their sensei about it.

* * *

><p>They ran to make it to their next class, which was on the other side of the school's grounds. They had just made it on time and entered the classroom. This one too looked as a dojo would, but had practice dummies and other objects to the far-off wall. The instructor of this class was bald old man that was half their size. He cleared his throat and spoke to them as a grandfather disciplining his grandchildren would.<p>

"Hakuda, or Hand-to-Hand Combat, is the general term for close-combat techniques that make use of one's own body as a weapon. High-speed Taijutsu attacks are used to overwhelm the opponent. Physical strength and skill is determined by this class. It is also a combination of several martial arts." He said sternly as he took in each of their faces.

"The foremost practitioners of this technique are those assigned to the Stealth Force, though not all masters of this art stay with the Stealth Force, or have ever been with that branch."

"Now I will show you the basics of this academy, but make _no_ mistake, after this year you _will_ create your _own_ style of fighting unique to _only_ yourself and those you wish to train in said style."

The old man, who was to be called Torah-sensei, then went through the academy stances and forms, with the class mirroring each movement. Once they had it slightly memorized he went around disciplining those who messed up with a strike from a cane he pulled from nowhere. _Everyone_ in the class had been hit at _least_ twentytimes before the class was over. When it was they ran for the door, with Traban being the last to walk out of the class. He then found out that was bad, because the old man whacked him upside the head telling him to get to class.

* * *

><p>Kisuke and Huey were waiting by the door for their new friend to come out of the class. They then fell over laughing at the <em>huge<em> lump on Traban's head. It was gone after ten minutes as they made their way to their next class: History, a class they were just dreading the whole way there, though Traban seemed at least disinterested probably because he knew it all.

The History class looked like an actual classroom. It had desks, and everything. There was no teacher in sight until five minutes had passed when the class door was shut loudly and a regal looking man stepped to the podium in front the class with an air of royalty. He then spoke in a, surprisingly, calm, and kind voice.

"Alright everyone this is the most _boring_ class you'll _have_ to endure; History, so let's get to it. I'm Hidan Kuchiki, but please call me Hidan or sensei. Now let's begin with our first lesson: the earliest history of the Soul Society."

And the lesson began. Traban was bored because he already knew all the things that we're being said, but found that as the teacher spoke there were time gaps in information, but waved it off as some really bad things Soul Society didn't want people to know about. The class ended as quickly as it was started. With this the teacher told them they were free of any other classes and could go back to the dorms.

"I really hope time flies, because if it doesn't these classes are just gonna blur together for me." Kisuke said as Traban chuckled and patted his back. Huey let a small smirk grace his face as he walked with them.

"Don't worry; I'm sure it'll be fine." Traban reassured him as they walked off toward the dorms.

"Yeah, but I can already tell what I'm going to be good at." Huey said as Kisuke looked at him while Traban raised a brow.

"Oh, and what might that be?" Kisuke asked.

"Hakuda and Zanjutsu; they're both things I've trained in since I was a child, and I know them both well." Huey said with confidence as Traban shrugged.

"Well, I can already see that my talents are gonna be. I'm very good with the Kido and Shunpo they had us do, so if I can keep a good understanding of the two I could become very proficient in both." Traban said as Kisuke looked at him and Huey.

"Well, I wouldn't be so quick to pick, but I can already see that your both good in what you say are. Perhaps I can take tips from both of you and use them to become greater than either of you." Kisuke said jokingly as Traban scoffed and Huey raised a brow.

"Yeah… We'll see about that." Huey said as they got to their dorm.

* * *

><p><strong>SEGA! TIMESKIP: FIVE YEARS<strong>

Five years had passed since that day, and even though they had all tried not to get any unwanted attention they were very unlucky. Not only that but Huey and Traban had been labeled, "A prodigy duo not seen since the times of Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake" though none of them were top of their year; mainly because they didn't care or didn't want to be. Yoruichi Shihoin, childhood friend of Kisuke Urahara, was top of their year with Kensei and Shinji close behind her.

Today was the final exam of their Last Year Course, and it was the only time that members of the Court Guard Squads would come and watch the students besides mid-terms. The students were tested in their skills in Hoho, Zanjutsu, Hakuda, and Kido. They were using an outside testing ground while the visiting Third Seats, Lieutenants, and even Captains were there.

Most of the students would rush to go and see the Captains when they arrived, but no Traban and Huey had to be asses and disappear. It was almost time for the tests to begin and Riley couldn't find them anywhere. He had flash-stepped place to place, in search of his brother and their annoying ass friend.

"Where… the… hell… are… they?" Riley said getting louder with each flash-step as he tried locating them. Just as he was about to go search the eastern wing of the school, Cindy appeared before him in a blur.

"You found them?" Cindy asked as Riley twitched and shook his head.

"No, you?" Riley asked as she shook her head as well.

"I can't even locate their Spiritual Pressure anywhere. It's not like them to just disappear without telling us something." Cindy said as Riley nodded.

"Yeah, but we have to find those two niggas before they get called. Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake are here to watch them specifically." Riley said as Cindy looked shocked.

"Really? I didn't see the two Captains in the upper stands with the others." Cindy said as Riley looked confused.

"Wait, I saw them there myself… unless… OH! I hate them niggas! They asses hanging-out with Captains and they ain't even tell us! I'm gonna kick they asses!" Riley yelled as he disappeared via Flash-step while Cindy sighed and followed. Sometimes she worried for that boy…

* * *

><p>At the testing rounds the students were talking excitedly about the arrival of the Captains. Jazmine was talking with Tessai while Kisuke and the others were trying to find Huey and Traban.<p>

"So which members are here? I see Head-Captain Yamamoto, Captain Unohana, and Captain Kuchiki but I don't know the others." Jazmine said while gazing up at the top as Tessai nodded with his arms crossed.

"Understandable, Lady Jazmine, as even I don't know most of them. I do however no that Captain Uzumaki is up there next to the Head-Captain." Tessai replied just as respectfully as he always did.

"Tessai, I thought I said to stop calling me Lady Jazmine. We're friends, and I'm not royalty. That's Traban's thing." Jazmine said as Tessai nodded sheepishly.

"Sorry about that, Jazmine, though I still can't believe that Lord Traban is related to Lord Tousen of the Tousen clan." Tessai said as Jazmine nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, and he couldn't either. You know they wanted to train him privately so he could be the Head of the Clan, but he turned them down so he could stay with us?" Jazmine said as Tessai raised a brow.

"Really?" He asked in mild shock as she nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, and he'll still be the Clan Head later, since he's the only male that they'll have left use that old guys retires." Jazmine said as Tessai looked impressed.

"You know it's not nice to talk about people when their supposedly not around." Traban said as he and Huey walked up to them with everyone else.

"Well, if you two hadn't run off to God knows where we would have said it to your face." Jazmine replied while sticking her tongue out at him.

"If I may ask, where did you go? We've all looked for you since early this morning." Tessai said as Traban chuckled sheepishly while Huey raised a brow.

"We were kind of kidnapped." Traban replied with another sheepish chuckle as Tessai looked confused.

"You two? Kidnapped?" Tessai asked in disbelief.

"They were taken by two Captains, Tessai. They're fine, just been wasting time talking and messing around with the old farts." Kensei interjected bluntly as he shot Traban and Huey a dark look.

"Really now? Which two?" Jazmine asked in curiosity as Huey pointed up at the Captains.

"The one with the pink robe grabbed Traban and the one with the white hair snatched me." Huey said impassively as Jazmine looked up and saw the two he identified.

"Those are Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake. They're the guys everyone compares you two to." Jazmine said with a smile as Huey grunted and muttered something about never having white hair.

"Yeah, well they want to train us if we do well in these exams today. Apparently they got wind of those comparisons and came to meet us by kidnapping. Once we graduate we'll be placed into their divisions and trained from there." Traban said as Huey nodded.

"Well that sounds cool. I wanna go into Squad Four to be just like Captain Unohana." Jazmine said as Huey rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, and you've been saying that nearly every day since we met the lady. I don't think we'll forget." Huey said as Jazmine shot him a look.

"I wouldn't be talking if I were you, Mr. Prodigy. We still have to take our Kido and Hakuda exams." Jazmine said as Huey scowled.

"You act like we can't breeze through those as well. The hardest exam was Shunpo, and we got through that in a snap, so calm down." Huey said as he rested a hand on her shoulder. Jazmine was always worried during tests.

"I can't help it. What if I mess up, or if I'm not good at Hakuda? What if I use the wrong Kido?" Jazmine worried as Huey sighed and hugged her close to him, stopping all of her blabbering right then.

"You'll do just fine, and I think my left arm, right leg, and Traban's ass can attest to your skills in both Hakuda and Kido." Huey said as Traban's eyebrow twitched while Jazmine laughed into his chest.

"Let's just get this crap over with. We have other things to do." Traban muttered as he strolled forward toward where the other students were being tested. An examiner caught them and began flipping through the pages of his clipboard.

"Are one of you a Jazmine Dubois?" the examiner asked as Jazmine nodded and stepped forth with confidence.

"That's me." Jazmine said brightly as the examiner nodded to her.

"Your Hakuda exam is to take place by station 13 and so will your Kido exam. Please make your way there now as your examiner is waiting." The man said as she nodded, kissed Huey, and ran off.

It wasn't long before they had all finished their exams, and the day was out. They had been told that tomorrow they would be gaining their Zanpakuto, and afterward they would be doing a trip to the Human World for practice against Hollows. Now they were sitting in class, waiting for Tobi-sensei to arrive. The damn guy always showed up ten minutes late.

"God, Jazmine, I know today's a really big deal and all, but please, just be quiet for a minute. I got no sleep last night, and I am not a happy camper today." Huey mumbled with his head on the desk. He and Traban had stayed up all last night, but Traban was just fine with no sleep.

"I wasn't being that loud." Jazmine mutter with a pout and her arms crossed over her chest.

Traban rolled his eyes, before his voice imitated a high-pitched shriek, "Oh my gosh, we get our precious Zanpakuto tomorrow! Oh my god! Oh my god! I hope mine has something to do with ponies! Oh, I can't wait! I'm so excited! Aren't you guys excited! Yes! Yes! Yes!" Traban mocked as everyone else laughed at this display.

Jazmine gave Traban a dark look before she moved closed and whispered something in his ear that left him looking pale and shaky. Riley was about to ask about it, but then Tobi-sensei came in, and everyone quickly became quiet.

"Alright, settle down! Today, as you guys know, is the creation of your Zanpakuto." Tobi-sensei said as several cheers were heard throughout the room, Jazmine's being the loudest. Huey groaned as his nap was interrupted. His eyebrow twitched when Cindy gave him a kick under the table. It was unnerving, these women dared to… oh they would all pay…

By the time Huey had finished his mental rant of revenge, the instructor had already taken out a list, "Now, when I call your name, step into the room. First off, Shusuke Aisawa." And so, one by one, the students went in. There were four rooms, so four could be creating their Zanpakuto at the same time. When it was Huey's turn he was told to wait, and so was Traban.

* * *

><p>Huey and Traban waited along the wall with their friends as they showed them their Zanpakuto.<p>

Jazmine was the first to show hers off, since it was "just so cute". Jazmine's Zanpakuto took the form of a regular katana with the only slight difference being the five-petal flower designs stamped on the rectangular guard with a light pink handle, and red sheath. She had that it may not be a pony, but it was just so cute that she couldn't stay mad.

Cindy then showed them all hers. Cindy's Zanpakuto took the form of a katana as well, except hers was a bit longer than standard. It had a dark blue hilt and sheath, as well as a round bronze guard with strange lines running through it.

Riley showed them his almost immediately afterward, saying it was the best looking thing he had ever "created", to which Traban snickered and Huey rolled his eyes. Riley's sword was a normal katana with a dull red sheath, grey hilt, and a guard in a shape of a hurricane emblem, consisting of a circle with a swirl-like shape in the center and three points protruding from the edges evenly spaced apart.

"Those are quite the swords you three have. Jazmine's is cute, Cindy's is mysterious, and Riley's is just... complex in design. I hope my own Zanpakuto is as good as yours." Traban said as Riley scoffed at him and Huey rolled his eyes.

"Ah, there you two are. Here" Tobi-sensei said as he walked up to the two and handed them two generic katana. Huey and Traban blinked at Tobi-sensei as he walked away, like they understood everything about what was going on.

"What the hell, man?" Huey and Traban shouted as Tobi-sensei turned and looked at them.

"You two are to be tested by Head-Captain Yamamoto to receive your Zanpakuto, though that will come later, because right now you're going on the Hollow trip. Good Luck!" Tobi-sensei said as he waved them off and walked away.

"Let's just get this damn trip over with…" Traban muttered as he placed the katana at his right side with Huey nodding while he scowled. Riley was snickering the whole time as he and the others followed the upset duo.

* * *

><p>Huey dodged a Hollow's claw, tilting his body back, and flipping backwards as he acrobatically avoided each attack made by the creature.<p>

"**Hado #33, Shakkaho**!" Traban murmured softly as he struck out his palm while a large ball of red fire shot at the Hollow, hitting it dead center in the mask along with the two behind, destroying them instantly.

Huey landed next to him, only to jump away as the spot they were at was hit by an energy blast moments later. Traban looked toward Huey and saw that he was staying extraordinarily calm. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing several other students running away from the west direction.

"Huey" Traban called out calmly as Huey blurred to his side with a nod. They both began to run in the direction the students had come from, and saw the biggest Hollows they had ever seen in reality.

"My, my, you're all big bad beasties. I wonder if that'll help you any?" Traban said mockingly as the Hollows began to laugh at them while Huey raised a brow.

"Didn't we just devour some of your little classmates?" One of the large Dinosaur hollows said as Huey narrowed his eyes.

"Well then, we should probably kill you, shouldn't we?" Huey asked as he began to redraw his sword.

"Indeed." Traban said as he in return sheathed his and stuck out a hand, only pointing his index finger at the lead Hollow. Huey jumped behind him as he saw what Traban was about to do.

"**Hado #4, Byakurai**!" Traban said as the point of his finger generated a concentrated lightning bolt that shot out at the lead Hollow, killing it and all the Hollows behind him.

The other Hollows didn't even get the chance to comprehend what had occurred before Huey had appeared in front of them, his sword held out in front of him with both hands like a Kendo-user.

"**Tensho**" Huey said calmly as yellow energy engulfed his blade. He swung down and the energy surged forward, killing all Hollows in its wide path.

Huey came back down to Traban as the few Hollows that remained grew angry and increased their Spiritual Pressure. Huey raised a brow to it as he and Traban increased their own, leveling off with the Hollows.

"You'll pay for that, you brats!" The Squid-like Hollow roared as its tentacles shot out and grabbed Huey's blade from his hands, throwing it far off as Huey simply kept his brow up, but gained a smirk.

Thank you." Huey said impassively as the Hollows grew confused. The Squid Hollow was the most confused, but it grew far more shocked when the remaining Hollows around it were hit with energy blasts. It gazed down at Traban's smoking palms as the boy jabbed a thumb toward the one with the afro.

Huey appeared in front of it as its eyes widened. Huey brought back a fist as the Hollow found itself unable to move due to six bars of light holding it in place.

"**Ikkotsu**" Huey said as he used a powerful punch against the evil creature. The punch completely shattered the Squid Hollow's mask and sent it flying along the street and into a building where it disintegrated.

"Are we done here?" Traban asked in a bored tone as Huey jumped down to him with a nod.

"I'm not gonna find that sword, am I?" Huey asked as they started walking.

"Not unless you wanna search the city for the damn thing, and I'm not helping ya." Traban said cheerfully as Huey sighed, but shrugged as they met up with the others.

"Now that this dumbass field-trip is over, we can go and get our Zanpakuto." Huey said in an impassive tone while Traban nodded with a slight smiled.

"Yes, and then I can finally become King of the Squirrels! Mwahaha!" Traban said wickedly as lightning flashed in the backroom while he laughed manically.

"I worry about you're mental health." Huey commented while they walked through the Senkaimon back to Soul Society as Traban smiled.

"Don't worry I'm just me." Traban said as Huey raised a brow, but couldn't argue that point.

"I don't doubt that…" Huey muttered as Traban began whistling joyful tone.

* * *

><p>Arriving back the class was immediately taken back the classroom and asked to wait their while the teachers and several members from various Squads reviewed the footage of the field-trip.<p>

"When do we get to join Squads?" Traban asked as Jazmine looked at him.

"Next week. After that, we can join any Division of our choosing, but some of us will be assigned to a specific Squad." Jazmine said as Huey raised a brow.

"How did you know that?" Huey asked as Jazmine smiled at him.

"It's written on the blackboard behind Traban." Jazmine said as she pointed directly behind Traban, who looked over his shoulder and saw that she was right.

"Huh? I gotta start paying attention." Traban said aloud to himself.

"So niggas, guess what Squad I'm go be in?" Riley said as he jabbed a thumb into his chest as he stood proudly.

"I don't know… Squad Six?" Huey said after rolling his eyes.

"Wrong, nigga. Anyone else?" Riley said as he formed an X-shape with his arms.

"Squad Two so you can work with the Stealth Force?" Traban answered as Riley shook his head and Cindy looked up.

"No, nigga, that's C-murph's plan. I'm joining Squad Seven!" Riley proclaimed as Huey raised a brow.

"And why is that?" Huey asked in genuine curiosity as Jazmine nodded.

"Because, they work with the Rukon district." Riley said as everyone only got more confused.

"You do realize that they _police_ the Rukon district, right?" Jazmine said for clarity as Riley nodded.

"Yeah, and I be seeing them niggas fucking shit up for good and nice people. They don't do anything but shop and cause trouble. See when I get out there, I'm be cracking skulls and taking down crime. This is supposed to be Heaven niggas, how you go fuck with a nigga's afterlife? That's like finding Jesus smoking crack in the Head-Captain's office." Riley said as Traban literally fell out of his chair laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" Huey asked as he was actually amused and proud of Riley.

"Because, I just realized two things. One, Riley would be the only person I know to use the word nigga when in the afterlife, Heaven, and while most of the residents are Japanese. Two, is that Riley wants to be a cop, when in life you guys said he hated the police." Traban said as he got up and patted Riley's back while Riley glared holes in his head.

Just as Riley was about to make many rude remarks toward Traban, Tobi-sensei came in and gave everyone a sheet of paper that told them where to report to get either their Squad assignments, or where they could find the Squad brochures and members.

It was when Huey and Traban were about to leave that the door seemingly shut itself. They turned around to question their teacher, but were surprised by what they saw when they did.

Their current teacher and four captains, one being the Head-Captain, were in the room. The only other kids in the room were Jazmine and Shinji, and both looked very confused as to how they got there in the first place. Huey turned his attention to the Head Captain, who stood by Unohana, Ukitake, and Kyoraku. He banged his walking cane once to silence any questions they had.

"I know you all have questions, so I'll answer the obvious ones now. The ones in this room are all that are needed. Your other friends will not require the extra training, because they will have other duties upon graduation of the Academy. They will be in Squad Seven and will police the Rukon District until they have made it into the ranks of Seated Officers. From there they can do as they please. This young lady, Jazmine Dubois, will be in Squad Four; under Captain Unohana. Young Hirako will be place within Squad Five. The only exceptions who weren't here or to be placed in Rukon are Kisuke Urahara, who was placed in the Stealth Force, and young Tessai, who was recruited by the Kido Corps. You, young Freeman and Tousen, have been recruited until we can antiquity judge your skills in a secure environment." Yamamoto said as Traban and Huey kept a serious gaze on the old man.

"Now on to the training you shall receive." Yamamoto said roughly banging the stick once again as he stroked his beard, "Both you young boys will require much more training in the four arts."

"Now as for your instructors; Captain Kyoraku can instruct young Tousen while he services as a member of Squad Eight, while Captain Ukitake trains young Freeman. Little Jazmine shall be trained by Unohana and her Squad as an official member of Squad Four. Young Hirako will be trained by Captain of Squad Five, Isshin Kurosaki."

"The training will begin today; until we meet again in one year, younglings." Yamamoto finished as the teens each were guided away by their respective masters for the next one year.

It was that which help to shape the futures of those around them. Only a few of the pieces were on the board, but the rest were slowly gathering. For this was the event they named the "_The Start of the__ Pendulum_".


	5. Zanpakuto!

**Chapter 5: Zanpakuto**!

* * *

><p>Huey and Traban were in the Squad Eight barracks having a break from their last day of training. Traban thought it'd be fun to reflect on their Captains while they waited for the two to return. Huey decided to go first.<p>

Jushiro Ukitake is a tall man with a somewhat emaciated appearance, caused by an illness which occasionally causes him to cough up blood. Because of his illness, he often spends his time recuperating at Ugendo, his family's estate. During one of his attacks when he was much younger, his hair turned white over a three-day period. This is why his eyebrows are black, the color his hair used to be. He wears his hair in a long ponytail. His hair is long, almost reaching his waist. He has green eyes. Ukitake wears the common Shinigami uniform with a long sleeved captain's haori, and a crimson lining. He wears a narrow white obi, in which he secures his Zanpakuto.

Jushiro's favorite food is Cinnamon Buns. In his free time he feeds the carps in the lake of Ugendo's garden and also trims the bonsai there, despite lacking the artistic sense necessary for the latter. Ukitake is well-respected and highly honorable, and always treats those around him with respect, even those who are weaker or not as highly ranked as he is. As a result, he can be easily approached by other members of Soul Society who seek favors or advice from the captain. Due to his high moral code, Ukitake will never let any harm come to either his underlings or those who attempt to protect them. He refuses to give up when he believes something is wrong and will break a rule to do what is right.

He is also quite perceptive, as seen when he first analyzed Huey's way of fighting, and has the ability to correctly judge people's character, as noted by Yamamoto, and knows when they are lonely. He observes that, before spending time with Traban, Huey often had trouble opening up about certain things and was very lonely in training, but said that he sees a difference in Huey when he spends time training with Traban.

Ukitake is fond of giving people strange or unwanted gifts for no apparent reason, particularly people with similar sounding names and hair color.

Due to his long-standing position with the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Jushiro Ukitake is one of the most proficient combatants in Soul Society and always maintains a level of honor and integrity when engaging in battle, much like his best friend, Shunsui. He refuses to fight in the presence of a child or even with a child, even if that child is a threat. He always maintains a semblance of respect for his opponent and is polite in combat situations. He also has a high measure of mercy, never taking the chance to kill, but rather actually try to teach people how to be a better fighter, even if they are an enemy.

* * *

><p>While Huey gloated about having the man as a teacher, Traban reflected on his Captain. Then he got slightly depressed over his lazy pervert of a Captain.<p>

Shunsui Kyoraku is a tall Shinigami with grey eyes and long wavy brown hair. His hair is tied in a long ponytail and has long bangs that frame the left side of his face. He wears a straw hat and a pink, flowered ladies kimono, which he drapes across his shoulders and over his captain's uniform. He has thin facial hair around his mouth and on his cheeks. Although his haori and obi sash are cheap, his pin-wheel hairpins are very expensive.

Kyoraku is a laid back and flamboyant man, evident in his style of dress and general attitude, and he is rarely seen without a smile on his lips. In his off time, he can be seen drinking sake in bars and napping. He likes steamed buns that go with sake, but dislikes powdered green tea. Other times, he likes to chase after women. Kyoraku tends to use a more familiar speech style than most others. He generally refers to his fellow captains and Shinigami by their first name. Kyoraku is a peace-loving man who will always try to talk his way out of a fight, though he doesn't wish to insult opponents by refusing to fight. The slightly eccentric Kyoraku also seems to like making an impression on opponents. He also dislikes taking the life of innocent people.

Though Kyoraku tries to talk his way out of a fight, he does insist on fighting when the situation is grave. He is also one of the most proficient combatants in Soul Society, and maintains a level of honor and integrity when engaging in battle, much like his best friend Jushiro. He refuses to fight with children or even in the presence of a child. He always maintains a semblance of respect for his opponent and is polite in combat situations and prefers to fight one on one. Even when fighting powerful opponents, he never (or at least rarely) loses his cool, going as far as to make small talk and joke around with his opponents.

Despite being one of the strongest and oldest captains, Kyoraku retains a level of humbleness and isn't overly arrogant about his strength, although when fighting, he does comment on how the fight "wouldn't be too easy", but he does recognize that Traban has the potential to become stronger than him given enough time. Kyoraku has shown a great distaste for fighting, telling people who fight, that it doesn't matter whether you owe someone or they owe you, as soon as you start fighting, you are in the wrong either way.

Huey and Traban looked at each other in a sense of pride; both having such great, if not odd, Captains and teachers in their lives. In the past year they had grown close; as close as Jushiro and Shunsui. They were even thought of as brothers by some, though they had to give thanks to Captain Ukitake, because that day Jushiro was sick they had to train together, and because of Jushiro's sickness, it happened very often. True, they had learned some things separately, but they knew just about everything the other did.

* * *

><p>It was Traban who broke their comfortable silence.<p>

"Shunsui-sensei and Captain Ukitake have been gone a long time. I hope they didn't "get lost" in a bar again." Traban said in an amused voice as Huey smirk, but shrugged in indifference.

"Then perhaps we should have a friendly match." Huey said as Traban shrugged.

"It could be fun; fun to use you as my personally dust broom when I'm done with you." Traban said as Huey scoffed.

"Please, I'll be the one cleaning you off the ground with _your_ hair, _mop-top_." Huey replied rolling his eyes with a smirk.

Two members of Squad Eight happened to overhear them as they came rushing and sat outside the room Traban and Huey were in. They took out food, and watched the worded battle between the two young Soul Reapers as they called more and more people to watch.

"Oh yeah, well you're a little kid that looks like a squid!" Traban said childishly as Huey scoffed at him.

"You don't wanna go there." Huey replied as Traban smirked.

"You… ugly." Traban said as Huey smirked back at him.

"I saw you walking down the street just the other day. I didn't see your face from that far away. I should have got a clue when those kids in Rukon started screaming, and you walked up to me with your buck-teeth a gleaming. Your hair was all frizzy and your face was a mess. I thought your clothes were a pair of sacks, but it's your favorite and best. You hurt the trees feelings and the birds all flew. I don't mean to insult you. Oh wait! Yes I do!" Huey said as Traban's eyes twitched.

"Well, your teeth are yellow; they're covered in mold. You're only 23, lookin' a hundred years old. When looks were handed out you were last in line. Your face looks like where the sun don't shine! Did you fall off a building and land on your head? Or did they drop one over your face instead? There ain't no pill cause you ain't ill; you just ugly!" Traban said as Huey rolled his eyes.

"What you really need is to wear a mask, and book a plastic surgeon fast." Huey said.

"You're scary, you're hairy. I heard about you; you're the main attraction at the city zoo." Traban replied.

"You got eyes like a pig and your nose is big, and with hair like that you should be wearing a wig." Huey countered.

"Uncle Fester, remember him? I never knew that you had a twin."

"You can't disguise your googly eyes; in the "Miss Ugly" pageant you win first prize."

"Yo momma said you ugly!" Traban shouted as he stood up abruptly.

"You ugly!" Huey shouted back as he did the same and they got in each other's faces.

"Boys!" two voices shouted out from the door.

Huey and Traban turned to the Shunsui and Jushiro's amused faces while at least 200 people were outside the room in the courtyard of Squad Eight listening while they laughed.

"Well I feel all exposed." Traban stated off-handedly as Huey raised a brow.

"What are you talking about? They do this every time we get into a fight." Huey said as gestured to the people behind their sensei's.

"So you're still here, huh? You've been waiting at the Squad Five training grounds." A voice said behind Shunsui as Huey and Traban looked out the room and saw the Captain of Squad Five; Isshin Kurosaki. Since the guy was in front of them, Huey took a moment to reflect on the… insane man-child that was a much respected person.

Isshin is a tall man with spiky black hair and brown eyes. He has thin facial hair around his mouth and on his cheeks. As a Shinigami, he wears the standard Shinigami Shihakusho, along with a tattered Captain's haori, worn like a sash and fastened over his left shoulder; the Division insignia cannot be seen.

While Isshin can be grim and serious at times, he typically acts in a goofy, energetic and fun-loving manner. He cares greatly for children and takes a keen interest in what Shinji is doing, but less so with Traban and Huey, feeling that they does not need to be watched over as he views them as "different". He is, very much, willing to make a fool of himself in order to cheer up the kids and spends a great deal of time with Shinji. However, when the situation calls for it, Isshin is much more serious, but is still prone to arguing childishly.

"Now then, are you all ready to start their last day of tor- I mean training?" Isshin said while he started laughing like a fool with Shinji shaking his head beside him. He face then grew serious as stood beside Shunsui and Jushiro as the people in the courtyard cleared out and the boys prepared for their last fight against each other.

"So, as you both know I'm leaving Soul Society in some time. If I can, I'll train Shinji so he can succeed me. I'll be gone in some years, so that'll be enough time; don't you think?" Isshin said as his two friends/colleagues gave a simultaneous nod.

"It'll be more than enough at the rate these boys progress. They've really grown in the short time of our training them, and their spirit energies increased as well." spoke Jushiro getting a nod from the other two men.

"Yeah, if not for those control exercises they would be affecting academy students from here." said Shunsui with a proud look.

They found that each student was extremely good at everything that was thrown at them, but each excelled at something the others weren't as good at. Traban was the best at Kido and Flash-step, while Huey was the better at Hakuda and Zanjutsu. They had heard from Unohana that Jazmine was really gifted with healing.

"Now Shunsui, we must not boost about them in such a way that would make them arrogant." Jushiro said to his brotherly friend.

"_Pah-lease_! I've been _trying _to make that boy the least bit cocky in his skill, or at least more confident, but it's like being with Old-man Yama again; except without the beard and bald head. He doesn't give in." Shunsui said with a small chuckle at his own joke, while Jushiro rolled his eyes and Isshin snickered.

They stopped their conversation to tell their students to begin, so they could prove. They were shocked at what they saw before. They looked toward one another for an answer, but then Isshin noticed he was still holding their generic Zanpakuto. They were more shocked, to see that the boys _had _and _were _finished by the looks of them and the field.

The field was _torn… apart_, utterly and completely. Trees were cracked in half smoking; there was a clear path to a nearby lake, it was clearly created by a _powerful _Kido. The ground had cracks and craters within it. The air was a mix of dust and debris still falling.

The boys were lying sprawled out on the ground panting hard. Huey's clothes smoking slightly and had a bruise or two. Traban had blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, and his clothes ripped from his left shoulder to his torso. Shinji was just as bad, his clothes ripped and a patch burned away where in covered the shoulder. He was bleeding like Traban but not as bad. The girls were currently healing them... Wait, the _girls_?

They looked to their right and sure enough Unohana was sitting there drinking tea, looking toward the students. She glanced over to look at her fellow Captains with a warm smile as spoke kindly.

"Let me guess. You were so involved in conversation that you missed; our arrival, the start, _and _finish of their spar. Although, I must say I'm impressed with your students. They seem to be good enough to become Seated Members right now."

All of the Captains turned back to the students, only to see them in front of them in good health. While their clothes were still in a state of disrepair the boys appeared to be fine. The captains hide their faces in embarrassment: mere _children _had gotten this close without being sensed in the slightest, if the _others _here of this, the senior captains would be a laughing-stock, and thought too _old _to continue working.

"Very well done, my young students. Your abilities in the Healing arts are growing better each day." Unohana said with her kind tone as she stopped blushing from embarrassment while she looked over all of them.

"And boys that was a wonderful match you put on; while I normally detest fighting or even sparring, you have shown me a great bout today."

"Traban your work with Kido is as great as ever and the execution of your Shunpo is greatly improving. I had to actually try and keep up with your movements."

"Huey you were superb in your Hakuda. I believe you would make a wonderful sensei in the art."

"And Shinji, you kept up even without your field of expertise. I'm sure had Captain Kurosaki _not _gotten distracted you would have bested them in Zanjutsu."

"You _all _are wonderful." she finished warmly with a proud smile. Shunsui jumped up and started dancing, with the others looking confused.

"Ma student is the best, ha ha ha. Take _that _Jushiro!" he said pointing in Jushiro's face.

"No Shunsui, did you _not _hear her. It was Huey who was the true winner of her praise as she stated he would be a great sensei." Jushiro said back calmly, trying not to let it get to him.

"As young Riley would say; What _bonsai _you been _smoking_? She, a _captain_, had to _try_, and keep up with Traban's Shunpo, a _captain_, Jushiro!"

"I'm sure she was just being nice, Shunsui. Besides, it was _clear _that she saved the _best _praise for _last _as she said Shinji would've _whopped _their asses with a Zanpakuto." said Isshin while smirking.

"Pah-lease! He's just a _little bit _better than them in Zanjutsu and you _know _it! Traban _clearly _would've won for his speed is better than both of theirs. I mean, come on; how can ya _hit _what ya can't _catch_?"

"But do remember Shunsui that he can't run around and cast Kido _forever_. _Eventually_, he _will _run out of energy, Huey _will _get him, and he'd then _disarm _Shinji of his weapons and take him out as well."

"Shinji would cut Huey _and _his afro six ways to Sunday before that happen, and Traban's Kido and Shunpo are nothing once Shinji is at the right level to deal with them."

* * *

><p>The three male Captains continued to argue with Unohana and the others looking on from the sidelines.<p>

"Why aren't we stopping them?" Traban asked as Unohana chuckled and looked to him.

"This is a primitive form of entertainment for me and has been for over 1,000 years of knowing them. They always get into some form of argument." Unohana said with a feathery laugh as Traban blinked at her and Huey raised a brow.

"Just how old are you, Captain Unohana?" Traban asked as Unohana gave him a raised brow, in a far more elegant way than Huey's own.

"A lady never discloses her age. Just know that I am as old as I look, yet am older than these three." Unohana said as she gestured to the three, now brawling, men.

Apparently, souls _were _eternal. While they can age and die of natural causes or as a result of physical injury as regular humans, Shinigami have extended life-spans and it's not uncommon for one to live for _thousands _to _millions _of years. She said the purer the soul in life the slower they would age. Traban and Huey each looked at Jazmine, and then back at Unohana repeatedly.

"If Captain Unohana is over a thousand…" Traban started as Huey nodded while they locked their gaze on Jazmine.

"Then Jazmine's gonna be like she is forever." Huey finished as Jazmine blushed while Traban nodded.

Now was the day they would return to active duty.

Traban hadn't changed much, because he hated to. The only thing he had done was straighten out his hair to the style of Shunsui-sensei, as he called the man. It was the same except the hairpins, in which, he used a red hair-tie.

Huey had not changed at all, mostly because Jazmine told him how much she liked the way he looked, but he said it was because there was no reason to change.

"Well then" Shunsui started as he held his face where Jushiro had punched him, "why don't we make our way to Old Man Yama so you two boys can finally get your Zanpakuto?"

"Yes, you two have worked hard, and communicated with your spirits. You deserve to finally have your Zanpakuto." Jushiro said as he rubbed his chest where Isshin had struck him. Isshin himself had mumbled from his place on the ground where Shunsui and Jushiro had double-teamed him to beat him to a pulp.

Unohana had sent Jazmine back to the Squad Four barracks since Jazmine was needed if Unohana wouldn't be there. Huey had wanted her to stay, even if he didn't say it. Isshin and Shinji had gone back to Squad Five to finish up some work, so that left the Senior Captains and the two boys to make the trip to the Squad One barracks.

"You know, we've been making these trips for a year now, but I still say those two giant metal doors are for intimidation." Traban said as Huey rolled his eyes.

"Sure…" Huey said as Traban glanced at him while they all walked in the direction of Squad One.

"I'm serious, dude! That place creeps me out because the doors open on their own. It's like the entire division just screams intimidation." Traban said as Huey shrugged.

"So…" Huey replied uncaringly.

"You're no help…" Traban said glumly as Huey shrugged again.

"It's not my fault you're intimidated by doors." Huey said as Traban hung his head.

Just then a gust of wind breezed pass them all. Traban's long hair fell in all directions as a person's laughter could be heard behind them. Traban didn't even turn as he clenched his fist and glared in front of him.

Yoruichi Shihoin is a dark-skinned girl with golden-colored eyes and short purple hair. She wore a sleeveless and backless Stealth Force uniform, with long black wrist guards and a black ribbon tied around her neck. Her face held a cat-like grin on it as she wagged Traban's hair-tie in front of her.

"Lady Shihoin, it isn't very right to take from others. Hand it over. Now." Traban said as she simply laughed on.

"Come on _Lord _Tousen, let's play a little game of tag." Yoruichi said, but her eyes widened as the hair-tie was gone and Traban held it in his hand. Never in all the times she had taken it from him before was he so fast that she couldn't follow his moments.

"I am sorry, Lady Shihoin, but I have pressing matters with the Head-Captain. Perhaps another time?" Traban said as he and the others walked away without another word.

Yoruichi lowered her head as her fist clenched. He had been toying with her for over seven years. He was always faster than her, but why was it now that he chose to show it?

"Yeah, another time then…" Yoruichi whispered as she flashed away, tears falling as she did.

* * *

><p>They had quickly reached the doors of the Captain's Assembly hall when all of a sudden the doors had opened. The two boys walked in with the three Captains trailing behind the as the doors shut immediately.<p>

Yamamoto sat in his chair at the far front as Unohana, Shunsui, and Jushiro appeared in their positions alongside Ginrei. Huey noticed that there was an orb like device in front of Yamamoto and the four Captains were standing to the side of it.

Head-Captain Yamamoto banged his walking stick of a cane to get their attention as he rose from his chair. Now that Traban was so skilled in Kido he could see pass the rather simple illusion Kido placed on the wooden walking cane and could tell it was Head-Captain Yamamoto's Zanpakuto.

"Now that you all have arrived, we can begin." Yamamoto said as Huey and Traban stood in front of him with looks of determination.

"After the release of your Zanpakuto you will be tested by me once again much like six months ago, but this time I shall be using much more than defense, children." Yamamoto said as Traban and Huey began to pale as white as Jushiro's hair. Yamamoto closed his eyes as Huey and Traban could feel him judging their power.

"Impressive, your Spiritual Power and Spiritual Pressure have increased since last I have sensed them, as well as your control." Yamamoto commented as Shunsui tipped his hat over his eyes while Jushiro nodded.

"Yes they are as powerful as we were when twice their age." Jushiro said with beaming pride.

"Indeed, now shall we get on with this?" Yamamoto said, banging his walking stick to the floor.

They nodded as Huey to step forward. He did placed both hands on both sides of the sphere-like device and put out as much power until he felt himself inside his Inner World.

* * *

><p><strong>Huey's Inner World<strong>:

It was his first time ever really being in his Inner World, so he was very shocked with what he was seeing. Huey's mental world was a never ending thunderstorm in which no rain ever came. He was standing in the middle of a city in which buildings were burned and destroyed from where lightning crashed into them. Only one building was left untouched and the light from the small break in cloud shone down upon it. It was this building that Huey was curious about as he walked toward it. It was then a bolt of Yellow lightning crashed ten feet in front of him.

When the lightning dissipated it revealed a ten year-old Huey in glowing yellow samurai garbs with shackles and broken chains on both his wrists and ankles. Huey glanced at him and saw a katana on his back just like in his younger days. Both fists each had the stun glove the he used from the time he was ten as well. The small Huey glared up at him as his fist clenched in anger.

"_So _you're _back again to oppress and bring more depression to this despair-filled city_?" The small Huey said through gritted teeth.

"_No, I'm _here _to ask why you keep saying I'm _oppressing _the people every time we talk. There are _no _people, this is _my _mind_." Huey said with a raised eyebrow as the smaller him grew angrier.

"_Exactly! This is all _your _doing. This place is where mind, body, and soul are _connected_. _You _are the__Dark Lord of Oppression here! _You _turned this place into _this_. It is because of _you _that this place is in such a havoc_!" the small Huey yelled in reply.

"_So what the hell do I, do then_?" Huey yelled back. He was getting really tired of his Zanpakuto spirit.

"_You die_." little Huey said as the sword on his back disappearing and lightning suddenly began coursing around the gloves and his body while he charged at Huey.

Huey's mind ran faster than his Zanpakuto spirit was. In all the times they had talked his Zanpakuto spirit was never so hostile. He was always cold to Huey or would suddenly attack, but never told him to die and try to kill him. In fact, he never had those gloves or chains before either. Plus, something felt weird about the chains on the spirit. Huey was about to think more, but his spirit's electrified fist needed to be dodged.

Huey used Flash-step to get in front of the spirit and stabbed at him with a katana that had come from nowhere. The small spirit barely managed to dodge, getting a shallow slash on his left cheek. He threw a punch at Huey, who deflected it with his sword. The spiritmade two bolts of lightning, which shot out at Huey. Huey was put on the defensive, dodging lightning using Flash-step and acrobatic skill. Huey swung at the spirit when he was close enough, but he ended up slashing the ground when he missed. Whatever speed technique that the spirit had used wasn't Flash-step. It was natural and gave off the sound of thunder instead of the light whooshing sound that Flash-step did.

"**Hado 4, Byakurai**!" Huey said as he spun on heel and pointed his index finger at the spot his inner spirit was to appear.

A bolt of pale-white lightning shot out at the spirit, who dispelled it instantly with a raised hand. Huey, seeing a moment, quickly used Flash-step to get behind his spiritand stabbed at the heart, only for it to be dodged. He turned towards the small spirit, who had powered up another Lightning Bolt, and dashed towards him. His spiritdashed back at him, pulling back the Lightning attack as he clenched his fist around it, threatening a Lightning punch. The two collided, lightning against Zanpakuto. Huey, having more strength in size, placed his left hand at Raiken's face.

"**Hado 1, Sho**!" Huey said calmly as his inner spirit was blasted back from the Kido attack and into a building as dust and debris came up from the fallen structure.

"I'm not as good as Traban, but it was good enough. Now can we please stop this and just-"

Huey would have said more, but a rather large bolt of lightning crashed down at the spot the spirit had landed, destroying whatever was left of the building in a blinding light. The light died away and the spot cleared to show that Huey's inner spirit was _pissed_. Huey watched as his spirit raised his hands to the clouds as lightning came from the sky and crashed in the palms of his hands as he held it. Huey knew exactly what that meant; he was going to die by the hands of his own Zanpakuto spirit.

Then, in that rare insight which came before death, Huey saw it. Huey saw that most of the lightning that was in Raiken's hands was going into the chains and shackles. It was then he knew what to do.

"_I have to get those damn shackles off, but how_?" Huey thought to himself. Then a plan had come to mind. He saw it in Naruto once, when he was alive, but Riley always screamed it was a show about a gay-ass ninja chasing his gay-ass boyfriend instead of whoopin' niggas and takin' other peoples' stuff like real ninjas do. Huey shook his head of those thoughts, now was not the time to pull a Riley and be ignorant.

The inner spirit surged forward with speed that made him look like a yellow flash. When he was only feet away, Huey threw out his arms, praying to whatever God there was that this worked. And it did, he caught his inner spirit... in a hug.

The small Huey-looking spirit was so surprised by the sudden action that he unconsciously stopped his attack and hugged Huey back. It was then Huey spoke in a soft kind voice, that if you weren't in his mind you'd never hear in your lifetime: Purest soul or not.

"_It's okay; I'm not here to oppress, but to ask for your help to stop the oppression of the people; here and everywhere. I need your help and I will help you to show you that I'm worthy to wield your power_."

Huey then cut the shackles broken chains from his spirit,and stepped back. The gloves on the spirit's hands disappeared and his Katana was back in its place on his back. The inner spiritwas shocked that his wielder had finally figured it out; that oppression was him and he needed help to stop it. The small spiritshot forward and hugged Huey again, to which Huey returned with love and compassion. Again: if it weren't his mind, he'd never do it… unless you were Jazmine and both of you were in private. Huey's inner spirit then spoke to Huey in the same tone Huey did at the age of ten; impassive and condescending.

"_Raiken_" it said as Huey raised a brow.

"_Excuse me_?" Huey said as the smaller him sighed in annoyance.

"_My name, it's _Raiken_. I'm your Zanpakuto, and my name is _Raiken." The inner spirit, who was now identified as _Raiken_, said as Huey nodded. After a few moments of peaceful silence _Raiken _spoke again.

"_You know, this place, when you were five, stupid, and happy, was actually a lot better looking. I mean you really are a pessimistic and dream-crushing guy, you know. Before you met Jazmine and the others it used to rain nonstop? It all started when _they _died, did you know that_?" _Raiken _said as Huey froze, knowing exactly who his inner spirit was referring to.

"_No… I didn't. I'm guessing that the buildings are my good times, and since I focus on the bad, they get destroy_?" Huey asked with _Raiken _nodding.

"_The people are the ones who you remember, and they have been depressed at not seeing you happy. When you were ten, and angry and sad all the time, they began to cry out in pain. Your negative emotions cause them pain, but since you met that girl, Jazmine, and opened up to her and the others, it's gotten a bit better. That boy, Traban, with his liked-minded view points helped stop the last of the buildings from being destroyed. Well him, your girl, and your other friends; new and old_." _Raiken _said as Huey raised a brow, only seeing a few buildings near the center still completely un touched by lightning. In a flash of light, he and _Raiken _appeared in front of the largest untouched building. On it read a neon-sign saying _"__Happiness and Love__"_. Huey was, just a bit, touched that Jazmine, Traban, Cindy, and even Riley had stopped him from losing it all in his life and now even his after-life.

"_They, mostly that girl Jazmine, helped keep this building from being struck and now_" _Raiken_said as he snapped his fingers making a bright flash of lightning blind Huey momentarily, "_it can all be returned_."

Huey looked around and saw that all the buildings and people had been restored. Huey saw many faces: Jazmine and her family, Traban, Riley and Granddad, Cindy and Caesar, and many others; like Ming, Luna, even Uncle Ruckus and Ed Wuncler Sr. for what reason they were there he did not know. It was then that _Raiken_spoke up as if reading his thoughts, which the little bastard probably was.

"_Hey! I am _not _a little bastard! And they had to effect on you in _some _positive way for them to be here! Anyways, about what you said earlier. I'm always here to help; I am a part of your soul after all. So my power is your power, and is always at your command. So long as you keep the rain and destruction from this place, I'll always fight with you_." _Raiken _said as Huey placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze with a nod of his head.

They then spent the rest of their time talking about _Raiken's _abilities and how they could use them, but then it was time for Huey to go.

"_Remember what I said, and don't forget! You know you're stupid when it comes to important things_!" _Raiken _yelled as Huey was fading away. And with him waving the middle finger at his inner spirit, Huey was gone from his inner world.

* * *

><p><strong>Reality, Soul Society<strong>:

After what seemed like hours, which in reality was only ten seconds, a sword inside it's sheath materialized out of thin air, over the orb-like device and balancing on it with ease.

The sword was a regular katana with a dark yellow hilt, and a Guard in the shape of a rectangle with a fist-like impression around the blade and two inward zigzag lines stretching to each corner of the Guard.

Huey grabbed the blade and stepped back to examine it further as Traban gave him a small smile. Yamamoto only nodded as he motioned Traban forward. After about ten seconds a sword came from out of thin air in front of Traban just as Huey's did. He grabbed and looked it over with wide eyes. That inner world thing was not very fun, especially with _his _Zanpakuto spirit…

The sword was that of a regular katana with a purple and silver-clothed hilt, and a purple sheath. The only unusual characteristics of it are the guard, which is hexagonal, instead of a normal rectangle. The two sides parallel to the blade are were long, whereas the four sides above and below the blade are short, making it into an almost prism-like shape. The second unusual characteristic are the row of several tiny tear-drop shaped holes that line the top and bottom of the guard, yet not the sides where two lines ran to net the hilt on both sides.

Now they were all a bit shocked, and even Yamamoto had shown it by raising an eyebrow as Huey did the same. Never before had those two blades; both Huey's and Traban's ever been seen, and they were all wondering what they were capable of. Yamamoto cleared his throat to subside his shock as Jushiro and Shunsui ran to hug the boys to death while talking to each other.

"They're more like us than we thought, aren't they, Shunsui? Just as strange and full of surprises." Jushiro said as he tried to squeeze the afterlife right out of Huey, whose face was staring to turn colors.

"Yup, now all we need to do is get him a straw hat like mine," said pointing to Traban, whose face was about a shade lighter than his purple sword, as he hugged him, "And turn his hair white." He finished pointing at Huey, who stopped acting and gave a wide-eyed look of shock.

Jushiro looked at Huey and then pulled out white hair dye from God only knows where as Huey used Flash-step to escape the man's arms and run away, but Jushiro was fast upon him with a happy smile. They continued to phase in and out of normal view while screaming to each other.

"Ukitake-sensei, stay the _hell _away from me with _that_!"

"But, you'd be a Shiro-chan, just like me. Come you'd look great with white hair."

"Hell no! Get away! I like my hair the way it is!"

"But a student should try to be like his sensei! Now we'll be Shiro-chan together."

"No! Go away!"

"Come on."

"Hell no!"

Everyone else looked at the scene with amusement. Traban and Shunsui were on the floor laughing, Unohana gave a sweet chuckle, Ginrei smiled as amusement danced in his eyes. Even Yamamoto gave a quiet chuckle at his student's obsession to have a white haired youth like himself. He then banged his stick to make them all turn their attention to him as he spoke.

"While this is all very amusing, we must remember why we are still here. Now please follow me to my private training grounds." Yamamoto said as Huey and Jushiro stopped their antics while they all nodded and flashed away with the youngest two of the group barely keeping up. It only took five seconds for everyone to arrive at a training ground that was out of the Seireitei and in an old and destroyed district of Rukon.

* * *

><p>"Now then shall we begin?" Yamamoto said as Traban raised his hand, the other holding his sword.<p>

"First, Head-Captain, a question; if I may?" Traban asked, already in battle-mode as the old man nodded.

"Why are you doing this? Is there a reason to bringing us way out?" Traban asked as Yamamoto opened his eyes to him, giving him a sharp look.

"Very perceptive of you, young Tousen. Yes there is, in fact there are two. The first is that you will be fighting me as I have said before, but the will be revealed momentarily." Yamamoto said as Traban and Huey tensed, feeling the Head-Captain gather his power in front of them.

The Head Captain then released half of his full power and saw they were not affected; not too much at least. He smirked lightly with the very action sending shivers down their spines as they placed their swords in sashes on their waist. Traban then started to draw his Zanpakuto from his right hip as Huey did the same with his sword. The old man grabbed his walking stick by the middle and raised it horizontally, his body glowing a fiery red aura that was burning the very ground he stood on. Yamamoto instantly removed the disguise, by the wood peeling off into dust, to reveal the true form of his Zanpakuto. It was standard katana with a dark purple handle and a circular Guard.

"Now I will reveal, but the last of the reason for this spar. To have you obtain your Shikai just as Jushiro and Shunsui did when they gained their Zanpakuto. Now prepare yourselves… _for a beating_!" Yamamoto said as he closed his eyes for a few second, but then snapped them open to reveal his body engulfed in flames. Huey and Traban raised their own power to match his as he gazed at them steel-eyed.

Yamamoto slashed through the air horizontally, causing the pair to jump back from the force of reiatsu in his swing. He took off his haori and unfolded his shirt to let it fall at the sash and down to his pants, to reveal a well-toned and battle-scarred physique. Huey stared at it wide-eyed as Traban gaped like a fish. How could an old man be so buff?

"Dammit, this is not a fight we can win; even we aremore powerful than last time." Huey said as he and Traban skidded across the ground due to the sheer power Yamamoto was letting out.

"You're probably right, but I plan on giving him one _hell _of a fight." Traban said as they stopped. Huey nodded as Yamamoto looked at them.

"Enough of your _petty _talk, for now, you shall see a power which select _few _have ever witnessed and _lived _to tell about."

"**Turn all things in this universe to ash**, _**Ryujin Jakka**_!"

The mere release of his Zanpakuto came with an extreme release of spiritual pressure affecting all in the area, and it could be felt for miles upon miles across all of Rukon and the Seireitei. When released, _Ryujin Jakka's _blade was engulfed in fire as Traban and Huey gazed at the release with awe and slight fear.

"_The aura of this weapon can disintegrate everything _and _anything that Yamamoto waves the sword at, changing it into nothing more than ash and engulfing the surrounding landscape in a blazing firestorm, the heat of which is intense enough to scorch the sky itself. Only powerful fighters such as Kyoraku-sensei and Captain Ukitake can resist this, but even _then _only indirectly. Even in its Shikai, __**Ryujin Jakka's **__power is enough to fight against the Shikai of _two captains simultaneously_. The flames created by __**Ryujin Jakka **__can be controlled by Yamamoto to attack only the targets he chooses and he also has power over the intensity of the flames. His flames are capable of incinerating an area even _greater _than that of the Seireitei_." Traban thought, combining both history and his own observation of the now released blade.

"Well I guess we have no choice then." Traban said as he and Huey completely drew their swords.

Huey used _Senka _to move behind the old man. He tried to stab him in the back but the stab was blocked by _Ryujin Jakka's_ flames**.** He was then forced to Flash-step back to Traban's side as a torrent of flames engulfed the spot he was but a second earlier. Traban, all the while Huey had attacked, was saying the incantation for a powerful Kido inside his head.

"**Bakudo 63, **_**Sajo Sabaku**_!"

Out of thin air, thick chains made of energy surrounded the old man and imprisoned his arms and torso. Yamamoto made no attempt to struggle, merely because he wanted to see what was to come next. Even he was slightly surprised at the strength of the Kido.

Traban took a deep a breath before he started reciting the incantation for another Kido, out loud, as he brought both hands together, arms outstretched, and palms facing Yamamoto.

"_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens._ **Hado 73, **_**Soren Sokatsui**_!"

Traban's palms let lose two large beams of blue fire heading toward the Head Captain. This powerful attack then kicked up dust and debris as it created a large explosion. Huey turned to Traban as the latter let out a sigh of annoyance.

"That wasn't strong enough to hurt him a lot, maybe some pain and burn marks, but not enough to end this battle. We have to go at him with the intent to _kill _him, because if not he _will_. When you see him, we go for blood and no holding back at all." Huey said in a serious tone as Traban nodded in full understanding.

When Traban and Huey looked back toward the dust cloud it was blown away and replaced by one of flames. They saw the old man walking out of the flame storm with burn marks on his torso, but not at all affected by them.

"Did you honestly think that a simple Hado such as that would be enough to defeat me? That _spark _was no more than a _hot towel _to the skin for one such as me. Now it is my turn!" Yamamoto said as he raised his blade high and brought it down as the flames from it followed. It came down upon the two as a pillar of flames; heat and all. To those that were on the sidelines it engulfed them both.

* * *

><p>Seconds passed as nothing came out of the flames and the no one moved. Unohana finally let out a sigh as she got ready to release her own Zanpakuto to heal the two young boys, but then the bright middle day sky darkened with black clouds over the scene and lighting struck down at the very spot the flames had swallowed the boys. Wait… ominous clouds, and lighting appearing from nowhere?<p>

The flames were dispersed by the lightning and revealed Huey. He standing there with two black and gold-gloved hands and his forearms, charged with electricity as lighting ran the course of his body like a twister, and coursing all-over the battlefield combating the flames. He then spoke a phrase that shocked them.

"**Fight back oppression from the heavens**, _**Raiken**_"

"Lighting Fist, huh? That seems to be an elemental Zanpakuto, just like Old man Yama's." Shunsui said with Jushiro nodding as he wondered where Traban was.

As if on cue, a Kido-barrier shattered and revealed Traban with a small burn on his hand, but it didn't seem to affect him. He and Huey were in trance-like states as their eyes glowed with energy inside them. Traban then brought up his blade and shocked them even more as he pointed it at Yamamoto.

"**Cry to your heart's content, **_**Suzuhime**_"

"Bell Princess, huh? Well that's cute. That means he has a female Zanpakuto spirit, just like me." Shunsui commented as Jushiro nodded, but then everyone felt weird and woozy all of a sudden as the world around them started to drain of color, and all that remained was black and white. All the captains on the side-lines helped to put up a different type of barrier. Ones of: sound, element, space, and energy. It was the sound barrier which was starting to crack under some form of pressure. They all looked at Traban, whose sword was literally vibrating, though they could barely see it at the speed it was.

"So that's it. _Suzuhime _maintains its form of a regular katana Zanpakuto while releasing it's Shikai. Suzuhime's release command has the automatic effect of projecting a high-pitched tone over a wide area, overloading the hearing of anyone within range and knocking them unconscious. This comparatively humane and painless technique fits with Traban's ideals as a peaceful means of justice. The ringing tone and loss of colored vision is produced by the vibration of Suzumushi, correct?" Ginrei explained his theory to the others as they nodded in agreement with it.

"The best part is it works on the inside of one's ears and mind, not a physical attack. That means no matter what level of power you are compared to him, if he wants he can end the battle with that and it is great for capturing people wanted alive or unharmed. Though, I have a feeling that it is not the only ability his Shikai is capable of. It and Huey's Zanpakuto can most likely do much more than what we're seeing… and um… hearing as well." Jushiro stated with them all nodding once more.

"Yes, and from what I can tell about Huey's Zanpakuto is like the lighting version of Old Man Yama's _Ryujin Jakka_, which means it's even worse than the old man's since lighting can affect more than just the surface: it can create paralysis and even destroy nerves altogether. That coupled with it's natural speed and intensity makes for a very scary Zanpakuto. It's most likely the strongest of Lightning-based Zanpakuto." Shunsui said as Unohana nodded and beside.

"Yes I must concur, Captain Kyoraku, it can deal just as much damage as a flame, if not more, but we still haven't seen what his, nor Traban's blade are fully capable of…" Unohana said as she watched Traban's sword with a sharp gaze, and then switched her gaze to Huey and his Zanpakuto.

They watched as the Head Captain put up a sound barrier, wobbling a bit after Traban's release. He then increased the intensity of his flames so they wouldn't be overtaken by the lighting produced by Huey's _Raiken_. Huey and Traban kept the old man on defense.

Huey would use Flash-step to get close to him and trying to punch him which shot a huge bolt of lightning toward him. It was thanks to Flash-step and his flames that he didn't have his body paralyzed. Traban would continue to emit the sound attack with every opportunity he got and if not he would try to slash at the old man. It was then that Yamamoto was satisfied with what his was seeing. He used Flash-step and chopped both boys in the back of the neck to render them unconscious. He then resealed his blade and dispelled the flames around them all as the other Captains were at his side in an instant. It was then that Shunsui spoke to him.

"So what do you think, huh?" Shunsui said as he raised his hat to look at his old teacher.

"They have done extremely well for their age. As you know, it hasn't been since you two that I have found myself on the defensive from mere _Shikai_. They will make fine Captains once they obtain and master their Bankai, but for now they need more training." Yamamoto said as he sheathed his sword while Ginrei closed his eyes in thought. Those two would make fine candidates for-

"I g-guess so, but… what w-was this… m-match for, anyway?" said a voice below them as they looked down to see Huey and Traban trying to get up and failing miserably with Huey having been the one able to speak. They were shocked by this. Normally, even Lieutenants would be out for a day if the old man hit them. These kids were something else. Unohana then moved to release her Zanpakuto while the others watched the boys stand up, leaning on other for support and then collapsing back to the ground, finally knocked out. Shunsui let out a low whistle and spoke.

"They're tough ones, but not as tough as you and me, because after we release our Zanpakuto, we stayed up." he said as he picked up Traban.

"That's because we _didn't _give sensei a fight like _this_, so he _didn't _have to knock us out while we were on auto-pilot for our first Shikai release. They were going full power and give sensei everything they had and _more_. They deserve some rest, don't you think?" Jushiro asked with Shunsui nodding.

They walked over to Unohana who had released her Zanpakuto, _**Minazuki**_. _Minazuki _was a giant, green, one eyed Manta Ray like creature. It then opened its mouth, to which Huey and Traban were thrown in, swallowed, and stored inside its stomach. Unohana and the other two jumped on top of _Minazuki _as well as they were saying their good nights to their fellow Captains. _Minazuki _flapped its fin-like wings and took to the skies.

* * *

><p>The ride was less than ten minutes. They flew straight to Squad Four and upon arriving <em>Minazuki <em>somehow created a pair of bird like legs to land on. It then spat out the boys, which, we're covered in a green liquid of some kind. They were taken to the hospital section of the Squad barracks and placed in beds after being cleaned. It was nothing new, due of the training they endured for the year.

"So what do you thing the Old Man will do with 'em?" Shunsui asked as the three captains made their way to Unohana's office for a little tea and light discussion.

"I'm not sure, but we do have some high seated openings, don't we?" Unohana asked as they entered her office with the tea and food already there while Jushiro nodding as he sat before her desk.

"Yes, Unohana-senpai, we do. Captains of Squads: Three, Five, Seven, Nine, and Ten were either killed, in hiding, or imprisoned along with their Lieutenants after the incident with the Quincy." Jushiro said sadly with Shunsui tipping his hat over his face as they were got their tea and drank.

"Well then, they can be Lieutenants at least until they reach Bankai, right? I already have young Jazmine to become my next Lieutenant, should anything happen to my current Lieutenant, Seinosuke Yamada." she told them as Shunsui looked at her with a playful smile.

"Really now, I didn't know you were the type to count on people dying, Captain _Doctor _Unohana. Although, I don't have any open seated positions in my squad." Shunsui said with a smirk, while the other two nodded.

"Jazmine has my Third Seat Position since she's one of the best healers I've ever seen. I doubt Huey would want to join my Squad. Traban, even though he's good with Healing Kido, wouldn't join for long either. They'll probably stay with you two until they feel they can branch out on their own." Unohana said as she sipped her tea.

"By the way, do either of you know what became of their little friends?" Jushiro asked as Shunsui smirked.

"Well, Huey's brother, Riley, has become the Fifth Seat of Squad Seven with his little girlfriend now as Sixth Seat, but I heard she's about to transfer over to Squad Two to become the new Third Seat and Head of the Detention Unit. That Kensei boy is the Ninth Seat of Squad Nine right now. The Kisuke kid is still in the Stealth Force, but now he's the Fifth Seat of Squad Two as well. Those two kids, Rose and Love, are still in Squad Seven and have taken the Seventh and Ninth Seats respectively. We all know that little Shinji is under Isshin as his Fifth Seat now, and the Tessai kid is now in training to become a higher-up in Kido Corps." Shunsui said as Jushiro rolled his eyes and Unohana raised an elegant eyebrow to the amount of information he had, but from years of experience with knowing Shunsui, she knew it was always better not to ask.

"Well I guess we must wait, huh?" Unohana said to her male colleagues with them nodding, though Shunsui pouted childishly.

"Yup Retsu, we just have to wait." Shunsui said in mocking childish frustrated.

It would be a long wait if they knew it, but they knew it would be worth the wait. They could tell that things in Soul Society would get interesting with those two boys there, and with their friends tagging along it would be less chaotic. Yup all there is to do now is waiting and-

"Captain Unohana, we have a patient who's suffering from sheer stupidity disease!" A random member of Squad Four yelled as Unohana sighed and put down her tea.

"I'll be there in a moment." She replied back as the member nodded and went away.

"I guess waiting will have to... wait" Shunsui said in an amused tone with his two friends chuckling at the word play.

They guessed things wouldn't be so boring waiting a while after all…


	6. A Lot Can Happen in One Day!

_**Chapter 6: A Lot Can Happen in One Day!**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Three Days Later:<strong>_

Traban and Huey stood in front of the remaining Captains, Lieutenants, and Third Seats of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads in the Captain Assembly Hall to be pick new Squads to join. It was normally you pick a squad to join, but some people were assigned to squads. They had already picked their squads, but Yamamoto wanted them to see the other captains and see if they would agree. These captains had all the information that they needed based on the Academy records. Yamamoto banged his wooden staff to call the meeting to order.

"Now then, we have with us today two youngsters who wish to be in Squads Three, and Squad Nine, but we will let you all have your say in what you think of their request." Yamamoto said gruffly as he sat and closed his eyes. Huey always did wonder why the Head-Captain got to sit while everyone else stood, but he attributed it to being old and the leader of the Squads.

All the gathered people began to mutter and whisper to one another about the two boys in the middle of them all.

Huey, being ambidextrous, had placed _Raiken _to the right of his waist just as Traban did with _Suzuhime_, though Traban is left-handed. Traban glanced around the room as he realized that Isshin wasn't there, but then remembered that he fled to parts unknown to be happy with his wife, who had been the Lieutenant of Squad Five which he and Huey had met about two years ago.

Huey realized that most of the Squads had either Lieutenants, or Third Seats standing in the place of the Captains. These Squads were: Squad Three with a Lieutenant and Third Seat, Squad Five with only a Third Seat, Squad Seven with a Lieutenant and Third Seat, Squad Nine with only a Third Seat, and Squad Ten with only a Lieutenant. Squads Two, Eleven, and Twelve were all missing there Lieutenants, but still had their Captains. He then remembered that Head-Captain Yamamoto spoke of a new Rebellion before the Third Seats had arrived.

His attention was brought back to Assembly Hall as it was apparently in an argument, with Yamamoto banging his staff to calm them and get their attention. He then spoke as if he didn't want the headaches he was getting from them, which was true.

"Enough! I shall say this, but once: These two youngsters are very well equipped to be more than the positions they ask for. If it were up to me I would make them Lieutenants, but they have respectfully declined due to not having worked to gain those placements." Yamamoto said as many eyes were now locked on the pair.

"No way am I letting him become a Third Seat alongside me in my Squad!" The current Third Seat yelled from behind the Lieutenant of Squad Three.

"You're Squad? Last time I checked you weren't the Captain of the Squad. You're only the temporary leader until a new Captain is assigned." stated Huey bored in both tone and expression with a raised eyebrow.

"See! Already he's mouthing off to his superiors, Lieutenant Iba! I will not allow him to be in my squad with that attitude just, because he's from some clan." The Third Seat said as Chikane rounded on him, but didn't say anything.

"I was just stating facts, you know; the truth and logic about a situation. No need to take it personally…" Huey said as impassively as he could while he scowled at the man's ignorance. Even in the afterlife, there just has to be ignorant-ass people. It was Woodcrest all over again…

"Indeed, the boy did state a solid fact, Third Seat. Seems the Third Division just isn't what it used to be…" The Captain of Squad Two, Hiruzen Shihoin, said with a light smirk upon his old face.

"What was that, Captain Shihoin? I didn't quite catch that." The Third Seat said threateningly as his gripped his sword while Hiruzen gave him a raised brow and a look.

"Shut up, you idiot! I like the little afro-headed brat, he's got spunk." The Lieutenant of Squad Three, Chikane Iba, said with a smirk as she placed her hands on her hips. Huey looked at her, and raised a brow as he moved his gaze to the Third Seat. Before the Third Seat could say anything else, Shunsui spoke up as he fiddled with his hat.

"Now, now. Let's not resort to violence, okay? We're all mature people, so let's just calm down." Captain Kyoraku said as he moved his hat over his eyes.

The Third Seat calmed down, but still looked angry as Chikane simply rolled her eyes. She really wanted him to just run his mouth off to the wrong person and die already.

"Indeed, but we have gotten off topic here. Now, young Huey Freeman will become the Third Seat of Squad Three by my order. Now on to you, young Traban Tousen. What say you, Third Seat of Squad Nine, Mashiro Kuna?" The Head-Captain said as everyone turned to the spot the Squad Nine's Lieutenant was… only to see her on the floor sleeping. Yamamoto then banged his staff louder than usually and she awoke with a start.

Traban then looked over at her. Her appearance is that of a young woman with hazel eyes. She wore the standard Shinigami robes, though her sleeves were very long. She also wore a pink scarf and glasses perched atop of her wavy lime green hair.

She gave a loud yawn and spoke in a child-like voice.

"Is the boring meeting with the boring and old people finally over?" she said as everyone in the room grew either angry or annoyed with her, though some were more amused than annoyed. Traban didn't know why, but she seemed like a kid sister to him already, and he had just met her.

"No, this meeting is still in session, Third Seat Kuna. Now please inspect young Tousen, to see if he would be right for your Squad" Yamamoto said gruffly while Traban held back a chuckle, though Huey didn't hold back his sigh.

She walked over to Traban as Huey scuffled away muttering about how weird the girl was. She circled him a couple of times, looking him up and down as if she could see something the others couldn't. She got in his face a couple of times and muttered things like "Good, good", "Ah, I see", or "Nice enough". She then stopped in front him backed up a step, looked him up and down once more as everyone waited with baited breath. She then opened her mouth to ask the last thing many who didn't know her would expect from a Lieutenant.

"Do you like candy and games?"

Most of the occupants of the assembly hall face-faulted upon hearing that. Shunsui was laughing outright while Jushiro and Unohana chuckled. Huey and Yamamoto raised eyebrows to the question as Traban merely smiled warmly at her. Yup, she could definitely be the little sister he never had.

"Why, yes I do enjoy candy and games. Do you?" Traban asked, gesturing to her as she smiled back like a five year-old.

"Of course I do! Do you have some candy? Huh, huh, huh, _huh_?" she asked as she jumped and bounced around him.

"Yes, I do. Would you like some?" Traban asked while taking out a bag of candy from the within the sleeve of his uniform. Huey's eyebrow went up even more upon seeing that bag. When had Traban gotten candy, and not shared it with him, even though he didn't like sweets that much…?

"Yes! Mashiro'd love some!" she said holding out her hands, still jumping, but in one spot.

He dropped the bag of candy in her hand and she ravished it like a starved dog. The Head-Captain and Huey's eyebrows shot up even more as she ate, while others looked ready to be sick. Yamamoto then cleared his throat to get the attention of all in the room.

"Well then, what do you think of him?" Yamamoto asked with his eyebrow still raised as she gave a thumbs up while continuing to devour the candy. He nodded to her as if understanding and then turned back to look at the two boys standing in front of him. He then nodded to himself and opened his eyes to give everyone a sharp look.

"As of this day, you Huey Freeman are the Third Seats of Squad Three, and you Traban Tousen are the same of Squad Nine. You are all dismissed to your squads to get acquainted with your new recruits, and ready for the day." Yamamoto said as he gave his wooden walking staff one last bang to the floor.

With that everyone left as Huey and Traban flash-stepped their separate ways, with Huey saying he would get set up in his Squad's Barracks and meet Traban and the others at the usual time and place.

* * *

><p>Huey arrived at the Third Division barracks with the Lieutenant standing there to greet him. Chikane Iba, the Lieutenant of Squad Three, has grey eyes and thin eyebrows. She has dark hair with a large grey streak running along the top left of her head. She smiled as they made their way through the Squad barracks.<p>

"Now then, we know each other's names and rank, but I have question." Chikane said as Huey glanced at her.

"And that would be?" Huey asked as she stopped in front of her office and opened it, going inside and sitting behind her desk.

"Third Seat Enema said that you were from clan. Might I ask which one?" Chikane said as Huey raised a brow.

"The Tousen Clan, though my father was a Freeman, my mother was a Tousen apparently." Huey said as Chikane raised a brow of her own.

"What do you mean by apparently?" she asked as Huey shrugged.

"As you probably know, my friend Traban Tousen is now Head of the Tousen Clan, which is one of the Four Great Noble Houses along with the Shihoin, the Kuchiki, and the Shiba. When Traban was inducted as Clan Head, he was made to read his linage in terms of life and death; meaning that whomever was a part of the Tousen in life or death were marked in the book. Traban's father had a little sister in life, and that little sister was my mother. That makes me, and my bother Riley part of the Tousen clan by blood lineage." Huey explained as Chikane nodded and narrowed her eyes.

"That was a lot of information you just handed out to me. Why?" Chikane asked as Huey raised a brow.

"Because, it's basically _useless _information." Huey said as Chikane nodded once again, knowing he was right.

"I heard that the Tousen clan deals with the orphans of Rukon, and that they have always had a male sovereign. Is that true?" Chikane asked as Huey narrowed his eyes a bit, but shrugged.

"It's true. It is an iron clad law in the Tousen Clan that has been passed down, generation after generation for centuries. It says that the Tousen clan must always have a _male _sovereign, thus a female cannot be head of the clan. Don't ask me why, but after about three generations of girls and Traban being discovered in our fifth year at the Academy, Traban was immediately asked, or rather _forced_, to take up the position." Huey said as Chikane sighed while nodding.

"Thank you. I know I must be coming off as pushy and nosey, but I've always had a thing for the noble clans." Chikane said as Huey nodded.

"Can I ask you something, Lieutenant Iba?" Huey said as she waved him off.

"After the third degree I gave you just now call me Chikane, and sure; what is it?" Chikane said as Huey nodded.

"Do you have a son named Tetsuzaemon Iba?" Huey asked as Chikane looked up at him in mild surprise.

"Yes, how do you know that?" Chikane asked as Huey shrugged.

"My friends and I met him on our first day of the Academy six years ago. He, my brother Riley, and my friend Cindy have been hanging up ever since." Huey explained as Chikane smiled.

"Yes, I happen to remember that day. I was doing energy readings with some of my fellow Lieutenants for the first year recruits. Tetsuzaemon has shown me your brother and friend. They're all quite alike." Chikane said as Huey sighed.

"Yeah, that was what I was afraid of…" Huey muttered as Chikane laughed.

"I know what you mean. My son gets his attitude and looks from his father, but he has my temper and brains. His father was a moron, but I guess we can't help who we fall in love with. God rest my poor husband's soul." Chikane said with a saddened look in her eye.

"He died… again?" Huey said as Chikane chuckled a bit at the small joke.

"Yes, the whole 'gangster life' is not one to guarantee a long healthy life. My husband showed me that when former Captain Hisami came to give me the bad news…" Chikane said as Huey placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, with that type of life it was bound to happen, just be lucky you still have your son." Huey said, not to comforting, but Chikane only chuckled.

"I like you. You're not trying to comfort me like the others. No, you give cold hard facts and don't care what people think. And you're right; it was bound to happen. Thankfully, my son doesn't know anything about being a true gangster like his father, so he's safe and not pursuing it either." Chikane said as Huey nodded and turned for the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow with your assignments, Third Seat Freeman." Chikane said as Huey opened the door, but turned to look at her over his shoulder.

"Just Huey, Lieutenant Chikane." Huey said as Chikane snorted in laughter.

"I thought I said just Chikane." she said as Huey shrugged.

"You worked hard to be a Lieutenant, right? Then you deserve to hear that rank every time someone you don't really know addresses you." Huey said as he walked out and closed the door, leaving Chikane at her desk to grin and rub her chin with a chuckle.

"I really like you, Third Seat Huey Freeman. I hope my son grows up to be someone like you." Chikane said as she began doing paperwork.

* * *

><p>Traban had been given a tour of the barracks and the Squad by Mashiro, and now they were going to his office.<p>

"This is where you'll work as a Third Seat, just like me. Today we're all off, but tomorrow we work really hard, so enjoy your time and welcome to the Ninth Division!" Mashiro said, and with that she disappeared; not through Flash-step, but A.D.H.D. Traban looked around his office and saw that his belongings were already in there, so he simply locked it and walked away.

He flash-stepped all the way to the West Gate and opened the small door in the gate to leave Seireitei and enter the Rukongai. He then noticed that none of the others showed up, so he did what he normally did when he was the earliest; go strolling through the woods and promise next time to be late and have a really lame excuse as to why.

As he was walking through the forest he suddenly heard laughter. He flash-stepped near the source, but kept his energy as low as possible while walked closer to the source of laughter and saw that it was three Soul Reapers and two kids.

The three Shinigami looked to be about in their thirties, and they didn't look anything special. They were probably just non-seated members of some Squad. The kids, however, did look rather unique.

The children were a boy and girl.

The boy looked to be about 13 years-old. His eyes were narrowed to slits, making it so Traban couldn't see the color of them. He is unusually thin and a bit short with very sharp features giving him a skeletal appearance. He bore unusual silver hair, and wore the standard clothing for one who lived in the lower Rukon Districts. He stood behind a tree, looking pale and scared for the girl.

The girl looked to be about the same age. She had long and wavy strawberry-blonde hair, and blue eyes. She seemed well developed for one as young as herself, but then he remembered she could be well over a 100 years-old, so he didn't think too much of it. She also had a beauty mark located under the right side of her mouth. She was on the ground with the three officers standing before her.

Then the thought hit Traban. "_Are they... No, but…_" Traban thought as a hand grabbed his shoulder. He whirled on the spot to see Huey and the others looking at him.

"What's going on there?" Cindy asked as she looked over his shoulder and saw the three guys standing over the girl.

"I'm not sure, but I'm gonna find out." Traban said as he went back to watching the men and children.

"Who's that skinny kid over there?" Jazmine asked as she pointed to the boy hiding behind the tree watching.

"Don't know, but by the look of his shabby clothes I'd say he's from outer Rukon, maybe District 50 or lower. The girl is from one of the higher districts though because her clothes look better, and she's probably new to being a Soul since they're still so fresh." Riley analyzed, knowing much about the people of Rukon from his experiences working with them and protecting them.

"What about those three guys. They look like unseated officers, but shouldn't they have already been helping the girl, and why does that boy look so afraid?" Huey said as he could see the boy trembling, even from where they were; which was a good ways away from the kid.

"I don't think they're here to help these kids. If they were they would have picked her up by now, but they're just standing over her and talking to one another. They're faces don't show any form of concern or even thought about the girl. Plus, if they were here to help, then that boy wouldn't be shaking like he is since he seems to be concerned for the girl." Cindy replied as Riley nodded.

"The girl doesn't appear to be physically hurt from here, but I can tell that her spiritual energy is far to low for her to even move. She also seems to have broken a few ribs and that's causing her breathing problems from what I can see. The boy over there seems to be malnourished, that's why he's so skinny. He may have also sprained his foot from the way he's leaning on his other for support." Jazmine said as she kept a sharp gaze on the girl and boy, her experience working and training under Captain Unohana giving her the ability to spot injuries a mile away with a glance.

"So what should we do? I know they look and feel weak, but they could be stronger than we think. It's not too hard to hide one's spirit energy." Traban said as he watched the men talk more.

"We'll wait here and see what happens. If they do anything we disapprove of, we'll have them imprisoned, but if they _are _actually do their jobs, then we'll _still _kick their asses for not doing it sooner." Huey said as everyone nodded and moved into position to take the three out. Cindy and Riley jumped to the trees above while Huey and Jazmine moved to the other side by the kid. Traban moved closer to the men for a better look, but still stayed hidden.

The men finally stopped talking and all of them looked down at the girl with grins on their faces. Two of the men moved to grab each arm of the girl while the other man was undoing his uniform.

Only one though went through all their minds as they moved to stop the men, "_They're about to rape a _child! _Oh, _HELL _no_!"

"What the _hell _do you _think _you're doing?" Huey said cold voice as he and the others had their blades at the throats of each man. Cindy and Jazmine were practically seething in angry at the despicable act of these... _Monsters _while Traban and Huey were about to decapitate the man whose hands were still in position to untie his sash. The boy looked at them all with hope in his narrowed eyes as he saw them appear.

The men looked afraid at being caught, but then saw it was just a bunch of teenagers. They turned back to the girl as they moved the blades from themselves and the leader spoke in an annoyed voice.

"Damn kids, stop yellin' and wait your turn. Now scram with those two girls before we mess ya up. They're all the Fifth Seats of Squad Five, and I'm a Third Seat of Squad Five. Now go before I get even more annoyed." he said as he slapped Huey and Traban's blades from his neck.

Then all of a sudden the three men fell to their knees and hands gasping for breath under the weight of Cindy and Jazmine's combined Spiritual Pressure as it was focused only on them. Jazmine and Cindy was about to do something they had hoped to never do in their lives; they was about to deal with rapists. Jazmine and Cindy raised their blades high, but were stopped when a hand was on each of their shoulders. It was Traban and he shook his head as he slowly redrew Suzumushi from its sheath while he spoke.

"I can't let you two kill them, because then you would be imprisoned for murder of an officer. Please, allow me to deal with these three. All of your Zanpakuto are either elemental or not for hurting others. Mine, on the other hand, is able to do damage without that damage being seen."

"**Cry out in protest**, _**Suzuhime**_"

The world went black and white for the three men as they screamed in agony and dropped into unconsciousness. Jazmine and Cindy took deep calming breaths while Traban then used a low-level Bakudo to restrain the men until someone came.

"I'll call the Stealth Force to take these… _assholes _to the _my _Captain. I'm sure Captain Shihoin will find the _proper _punishment for them." Cindy said as she looked over the unconscious men with disgust in her eyes.

Cindy clapped her hands twice, and as if on cue five members of the Stealth Force showed up on the scene. Cindy explained the situation from their arrival to the now point, to which the lead member nodded and had the others take the men away while he reported to the Captain upon Cindy's orders. Jazmine had been giving the girl medical attention, but couldn't do as much as Unohana could, so she had Traban pick the girl up and bring her to Squad Four while the others went to report the men to their various commanding officers. Jazmine left to prepare a medical table for the girl, so Traban was left alone with the two kids.

Now seeing that she was unconscious made him even more enraged, as he looked toward where the boy was.

"Come on out, kid. I know you're _there_, so get over _here_." Traban said to the boy as he stopped hiding and made his way over.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you, and your friends so much for helping her." the boy said as Traban smiled at him.

"No need, now I'm going to bring her to Squad Four so Captain Unohana can help her. Hold my hand cause we need to get there quick." Traban said as the boy grabbed his hand and they Flash-stepped at Traban's full speed.

* * *

><p>In less than a minute they had arrived at Squad Four. Traban didn't drop the boy's hand as he led the boy to the Hospital sector of the Squad. When the doors opened Unohana was the first he saw as Jazmine was right beside her and they were walking. Traban quickly caught up to them, still holding the boy's hand like a father with his children as the girl rested into his arm and chest.<p>

Unohana saw him out the corner of her eye, and raised an elegant eyebrow to seeing him with two children, but nodded all the same before he could say anything. Jazmine called over two nurses to her and had them take the girl from Traban to the healing station she had setup for the girl. Jazmine turned back to Traban as the boy practically clung to his side while gripping Traban's hand as tightly as he could.

"Don't worry, Captain Unohana, Lieutenant Yamada, and I'll be healing the girl just in case. I haven't filled my captain in on the details, so while Lieutenant Yamada and I begin healing the girl properly, you can speak with her." Jazmine said as Traban and the small boy nodded.

As Jazmine walked off to go after the nurses, Unohana turned to Traban and the boy, wanting answers. Traban told her everything about what he and Jazmine had seen, and she was shocked, but nodded mutely. She told Traban to go to the Tousen Family Manor with the boy, and to wait there until she arrived later, to which he nodded and Flash-stepped away with the boy in tow.

* * *

><p>The Tousen Family Manor wasn't any different than the other clan mansions in Soul Society. It was big, spacious, and elegant looking, but Traban didn't care about that right now, as he paced the floor, waiting for Unohana, with all plans for the day forgotten. His attention was snapped back to the boy when the small kid's stomach growled. The boy blushed in embarrassment, adding a small bit of color to his paleface as Traban chuckled and ruffled his hair.<p>

"Sorry about that, I guess you're hungry…?" Traban said, but trailed off as he realized he didn't know the boy's name. The boy gave a small playful grin as he looked up at Traban.

"Gin… Gin Ichimaru" the boy, apparently named Gin, stated with all politeness. This was not the time for mocking one of the very people who was helping.

"Nice to meet you, Gin. My name is Traban Tousen, Lord of the Tousen clan." Traban said with his hand outstretched as Gin shook it and then grinned for some reason.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Tousen, and thank you once again for saving that girl." Gin said with his grin as Traban grew a bit curious about the boy.

"Oh, was she your friend?" Traban asked as he sat down next to Gin while the small boy shook his head.

"No, not really, but I found her away while ago before those guys came around the first time. I followed them around and they came back to her, knocked her out, and then you guys showed up." Gin finished the grin still in place, but wavered a bit as he spoke.

"Oh, and what did you do the first time this happened; before they knocked her out and you followed them?" Traban asked.

"She was barely awake when I got there and I fed her some dry persimmons that I had. When I saw them coming I hid." Gin said, lowering his head as he spoke the last bit.

"I see, well, after Captain Unohana tells us if she's okay I'll get you home and to your family." Traban said, but Gin's head only lowered his head more.

"I don't have a home or family, sir. I'm also sure she doesn't either, since I've seen her on the streets before." Gin said solemny as Traban gained a shocked look.

He knew life in the lower Rukon Districts was bad, but _this_: kids without homes, or families. Traban knew what it was like to be alone. It was not something he would wish upon his worst enemy. Then he remembered what his clan was all about; giving a home to the small and homeless so that they could grow to become strong and helpful members of the Soul Society. He looked at the boy with a kind smile as he stood.

"How would you like to stay here, as a member of my clan?" Traban asked kindliy as Gin's eyes widened, allowing Traban to see his light sky-blue eyes.

Gin never expected this man, who had just met him, to invite him into his clan. It was a wild dream he was sure he'd wake up from, though his thoughts were interrupted when Traban struck a thinking pose; hand folder under the one rubbing his chin.

"Although, you wouldn't be classified as noble, per say. You would become my servant, following orders from only me and in exchange you can stay here and I'll support you in just about anything you want, sound good?" Traban said, but was surprised when Gin started bowing lowly and repeatedly as Huey and Riley walked in.

"Yes, yes. That sounds more than good, Lord Traban! Thank you, I am forever grateful!" Gin said bowing to his new lord and master.

"Umm… should we just come back at a better time?" Huey asked as Riley scoffed and dropped down on their clan couch.

"Nigga, we live here too. We Tousen clan members too. Just cause that nigga supposed to be the leader don't mean anything. He better lead us to some food then." Riley said as he made himself comfortable in Traban's private study while Huey raised a brow and Gin just kept looking toward Traban.

This man, whom he had just met, had now given him a lot; a home to live in, a lord to follow, a clan to call family, anything he wanted, and new purpose in life. He would cherish this day always. No more eating whatever was edible, no more living on the streets, and no more sleeping out in the cold. It was all behind him now. Except just then his stomach grumbled louder than before invoking a chuckle from his new Lord and Master.

"See, even the little Chinese-lookin' nigga hungry. Traban, yo ass supposed to be our leader; lead us to some damn food then." Riley said as Traban glanced at him, but placed a hand atop Gin's head.

"Let's get you something to eat then shall we?" Traban said as they moved to the kitchen where Riley started ordering the staff around to cook his favorite meals while Traban chuckled, Huey sighed deeply, and Gin's mouth watered at the exotic smells that wavered through the kitchen.

After an hour, and finding out that the little boy Gin was a bottomless pit that stayed thin and boney, they all went to the foyer to wait for Captain Unohana. Gin still had a plate in his hand as he ate from it. It was so delicious.

"What's this called again, Lord Escobar?" Gin asked as Riley snickered while Huey elbowed him, having told the small boy to address him as such.

"It's fried chicken, red beans, and cornbread. Their foods that came from the Living World, little man, so eat up." Riley said as Gin grinned up at him and nodded. Huey only raised a brow as Gin ate with even more vigor than before, and he found that hard to believe.

After ten minutes of waiting, and Gin's empty plate being taken away by a servant, Unohana was being guided into the mansion by a guard. She sat down as Traban offered her some of the tea, to which she nodded in thanks and took a cup as tea was poured into it. She sighed in relaxation. Traban always did make the best tea, though she really liked the Kool-Aid Riley made, even if it did become an addition that they had named "Kool-Aid's disease" do to the fact almost everyone couldn't stop saying "oh yeah" after drinking it.

"The child you brought to me shall be fine. She just experienced some mild stomach pains from not eating of late, a few broken ribs pressed against her lungs. We've healed her and restored her energy, and she's just finished her meal before I came to get you. Jazmine and Third Seat of Squad Two, Cindy McPhearson, are with her now, so you can see her. She wants to meet the men, women, and boy who saved her." Unohana said as Traban nodded.

"But I didn't do-" Gin started, but was cut off as Traban slapped him on the back.

"Nonsense, you helped save her in a way most don't even know." Traban said as Gin looked up at him.

"How?" Gin asked as Traban smiled while Riley rolled his eyes. These niggas was gay with their touching moments…

"You cared. You cared about her existence, when no one else did. You were the first to notice her. You may not have saved her physically, but you may have saved her mentally and spiritually. " Traban explained as everyone else nodded to his words as they all got up.

* * *

><p>With that sappy moment done they all made their way to Squad Four's hospital and to the way to the girl's room. They knocked and heard a soft voice tell them to enter. They walked in, seeing that she was sitting up in the hospital bed with Jazmine and Cindy by her sides, looking at them as they entered.<p>

"Wow, I bet it sucks to be you right now. Being in a hospital, in that stupid bed, having people stare at the patch of hair they shaved off your head…" Traban trailed off as the girl screamed and got out a mirror from somewhere while checking her head to see if he was telling the true, to which she sighed in relief when she found that he wasn't. She pouted childishly and crossed her arms as Jazmine and Cindy giggled by her.

"Hey, that wasn't very nice ya know. If they did that I would have just died." the small girl said as she dropped her head on her pillow while Traban rolled his eyes.

"I would have just like, oh so totally, like just, totally, like died, totally! Oh my gosh!" Traban mocked in a dumb blonde voice as he fell to the ground pretending to be dead. Huey sighed at his antics while the others giggled or chuckled. Traban was a moron at times…

"Why am I here again?" the girl asked Huey raised abrow, but Cindy and Jazmine gestured for him and the others not to tell her.

"Tell us, what do you remember?" Unohana asked kindly as she stood over the small girl.

"Well, I remember walking through the forest, looking for food, and then… nothing besides waking up here, eating, and talking to these two ladies." The girl answered as Huey raised a brow again.

"Okay what's yo name?" Riley asked.

"Rangiku, Rangiku Matsumoto." The girl said with pride as Riley grinned at her.

"Names Riley Escobar Freeman, and I like yo style little bit." Riley said as he dapped her off, her looking confused as ever.

"Tell, little Rangiku; would you like to have what I've just given young Gin here?" Traban said as Rangiku looked confused.

"I don't know, what did you give him?" Rangiku asked as Jazmine wrapped an arm around her shoulder sisterly.

"You see, Rangiku, that's what we were talking about. You see, we all belong to a clan which takes in an orphans it comes across and helps them to have a better life. It mainly works in the middle to inner districts of Rukon, because of the killing done on the outer districts." Jazmine said as Rangiku looked in thought while Cindy picked up where Jazmine left off.

"He's the Head of the clan, and that clan is called the Tousen clan. We could give you a home, food, and you could become our family. Would you like that?" Cindy said as Rangiku nodded.

"Did… Gin join?" Rangiku said, finally knowing the name of the boy who would give her food and shelter every now and then.

"Yeah, he did." Huey said as Gin smiled at Rangiku.

"Then I'll join. It would be a honor to serve under you all." Rangiku said, bowing from her bed as Riley snickered.

"Cool, then you can call me Lord Escobar- ow!" Riley was saying, until Huey smacked him in the back of his head.

Traban merely chuckled as he walked over to the girl's bed, where she hugged him while he rubbed her head as a father would his daughter. Unohana told them she could leave now as they quickly took the two kids back to the mansion; introducing them to everyone while giving them their rooms and clothes. Traban, Huey, and Riley had to go to report some thing to the Clan Elders, but told the two kids that if they needed anything to ask the other servants or clansman.

* * *

><p>Traban, Huey, and Riley walked away from the Elder's room in silence. The Elders didn't stop them from putting the two kids in the clan, but they had asked that the two be watched for the time being and trained by some of the more experienced servants. Traban had agreed to their terms, and Riley let them know that if anything happened to those kids, that he'd be coming to kick their asses.<p>

"Ya know I'm going out to police the outer West Rukon tomorrow." Riley said as Traban glanced back at him.

"Yeah, I know. It seems that you'll be needed indeed." Traban said as they made teir way to the roof. When they got there they saw that Jazmine and Cindy were already there watching the sky.

"I'm the most gangsta-ass cop these Rukon niggas then ever seen. They go build a statue of gold and make it look just like me, cause you know if I step on the scene, then niggas gettin' fucked up, word." Riley said as Huey only rolled his eyes in amusement at his younger brother while the others were laughing.

"Alright Riley, we get it; it took _dying _for you to want to be a cop, and a snitch." Huey said in amusement as Riley flipped him the middle finger.

"Nigga, shut the fuck up with yo gay-ass." Riley said as Huey smirked and wrapped an arm around Jazmine.

"Riley, I'm sure Jazmine can testify to the fact that I'm not gay." Huey said as he kissed her while Traban chuckled beside Cindy.

"It's true, he not. Well… maybe he is a little for Traban." Jazmine said playfully as she knew the two had become extremely close friends over the years. Traban stood up and walked over to Huey.

"Aww, Huey, you finally confessed our undying love to the world so we don't have to hide it anymore. I so proud of you, and I love you." Traban said as he wrapped his arms around Huey's waist, making only Riley go wide eyed as the girls laughed. Huey wrapped his arms around Traban's neck as he put their foreheads together.

"You know I'd do anything for you, my love." Huey said in a low romantic whisper as Cindy and Jazmine "aww-ed" while Traban and Huey started inching their faces closer and just as they were about to kiss Huey pulled away.

"I can't do it! I just can't! You win." Huey said laughing as the girls looked disappointed while Traban did a victory dance.

"Yes, I'm the master of Gay Chicken!" Traban proclaimed as he danced around the roof while Riley was yelling about gay-ass niggas and their gay-ass games.

Traban stopped his dance, as he remembered something that he wanted to say. He blurred away, and almost instantly was back with a book in his. Huey noted, as he gazed at the book in Traban's hands, that it was a large purple tome and held the symbol of the Kido Corps.

"What's that, nigga?" Riley asked as he sat beside Cindy and the others on the roof.

"Well, you guys know how much I enjoy Kido, right? Well, one of the clansmen heard me talking about it, and he brought it to me since he's a higher-up in the Kido Corps. It's filled with every Kido in existence to date. I've already mastered most of them with Kyoraku-sensei, but there are still some which I haven't." Traban explained as Huey raised a brow.

"What of it, nigga? Get to the point." Riley said, growing impatient with all the talk.

"Well, the point is that one of them caught my attention. It was a Kido that was classified a Hollow technique." Traban said as he flipped through the book. Riley's eyes, along with the others, widened as Traban showed them the page. The technique being called a _Garganta_. Apparently it was able to tear apart time and space to create a path to anywhere you wanted.

"So what are you gonna do with that? You saw the description; only high-level Kido masters should use that technique." Cindy said as Jazmine nodded beside her.

"I _am_ a high-level Kido master. I was gonna use it to cut a path back to our world without having to use my Senkaimon so we could train in things… a bit too destructive for Soul Society to know about. Plus, there's a theory I wanted to test out." Traban said as everyone was silent for a while.

"I say we do it." Huey said as everyone looked at him in surprise. Huey was usually the one wanting to follow the laws of the Soul Society. Though in life he was anti-establishment he had grown to like most of the laws of the Soul Society, but even he admitted that the laws weren't always perfect, so he took them in stride.

"What?" Huey asked as he saw the shock on their faces, though they all turned from him.

"… nothing…" they all said as Traban shook his head and smiled.

"Well, what do you three say?" Traban asked as Cindy and Jazmine looked at each other before nodding, and Riley shrugged uncaringly.

"So long as I get to kick some ass I don't give a fuck." Riley said as Traban rolled his eyes, but kept smiling. That was just the answer he expected from Riley…

"Then allow me to start right now." Traban said as he turned toward the open sky just above the roof with his hands outstretched as the others stood behind him.

"Is this gonna be safe?" Jazmine asked as Traban nodded.

"Are we gonna get caught is more like it." Cindy said as Traban shook his head.

"No one will even know we're gonna, especially since we're all off today, and it's not even near sunset yet. Now I should recite the incantation for it, but I've made my own, and it's way cooler." Traban said as he took a deep breath and gathered his energy while the others rolled their eyes. Show off bastard…

"_My mind is the bridge which connects all worlds with me. My soul is the sword that slashes reality and bleeds it of my own will. Now, let my body be that of the virgin, that is for sacrifice. Stratus clouds come and gather! For now we strike back at the viper_!" Traban said as he his hands became to glow and connect through the air and a beam shot out, tearing the very air in front of him apart until it opened like the mouth of some beast.

"This… is the _Garganta_. It is a portal to a dimension of black and whirling energy. It warps space, bends time, and stretches on for eternity and _then _some. If we were to head toward the darkest we'd end up in Hueco Mundo, but if we head anywhere else we can end up in any other world; not the World of the Living." Traban said as his hands stopped glowing.

"So where are we going in there?" Huey asked as Traban smirked.

"Home" Traban said as he pointed into the portal, "Though I should warn you; there is no pathway in here, so we have to make one out of Reishi. Don't fall off it, or you'll fall for all eternity; never to be seen again." Traban said as Jazmine shivered at the cold and dark tone he chose to use.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Cindy accused as Traban nodded.

"But of course. I won't let my friends do something without having tested it myself first." Traban said as Cindy kept narrowed eyes on him and his smile.

After some more reassurance they stepped through and followed him, to who knows where this "home" was.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Unknown Location:<strong>_

After what felt like hours, which was only a minute or two, of walking on the pale green path of energy, Traban opened another Garganta and they walked out of that darkness and into another darkness, yet this one was of night.

"Okay I'm pretty sure that it was just daylight, so where did, Mr. Sun, go?" Huey asked sarcasm clearly in his voice as Jazmine giggled.

"Okay, now that we're here take a look around." Traban said as he turned to face them, speaking for the first time since entering the first Garganta.

They looked around, but all they saw was night. Huey looked over Traban's shoulder at a green thing and then Flash-stepped to it. They did the same, and as Huey read the big green sign he mouthed "no way" and promptly Flash-stepped off in a hurry. Traban chuckled and followed after him. The girls and Riley were confused, so they read the sign themselves and with wide eyes followed after the pair as fast as they could.

The big green sign they read was an enter-limits sign which read:

"Welcome to Woodcrest"

Huey and the others arrived at the place their old neighborhood, though nowhere by their old house.

"Surprise!" Traban yelled as he brought up his hands.

They all looked at him as if he were crazy while Huey took calming breathes.

"Why did you bring us back to the place all this crap began?" he asked as Traban backed up a bit.

"Well I would have done it sooner, but I needed time to master the Garganta. Now hear me out, okay? I'm mean all of you." to which they nodded and he continued.

"When I first perfected the Garganta three months ago I needed to be sure it worked, but it did so far better than I hoped. Just follow me and when we stop next, check a watch from this world." Traban said as he Flash-stepped away with the others close behind.

They arrived outside of Huey's old house. Huey looked toward his yard and his eyes widened more than ever with the others mimicking him as they gaped like fish. Traban Flash-stepped away and was back in five seconds with something they couldn't see very well in the darkest of their old neighborhood. He then placed the thing in the yard and walked back by Huey.

"I don't believe it…" Huey said quietly, his eyes still like dinner plates as Riley nodded in agreement.

"Impossible…" Jazmine whispered out as she and Cindy clung to each other, not sure of what trickery was going on.

"Traban, how?" Cindy asked, looking toward him as he smiled.

The very thing that had them freaking out was the fact that after six long years of being in Soul Society that here in Woodcrest, lay their still bleeding and dead bodies; the same as when they died.

"Apparently, in relation to Soul Society, when one is passing through the dimensions time and space are slowed to basically a stop since the last time the user was in that dimension. I'm not sure how, but I believe it is because that it's a time and space field which does it, because when I returned to Rukon from here, it was the two _seconds _passed time I left, and I had stayed here two _days _working on my theory. I then expanded the time of my stay, and found that minutes here are equivalent to years in Soul Society and vise-versa." Traban said, explaining the impossible; which was quite possible apparently.

"So from the two dimensions years pass as minutes in the other?" Huey asked.

"Yes, I believe so. It has been six minutes since last we were all here, at least by this world's count. I don't know why, but that's the way it works. Even though time passed in Soul Society, it didn't here." Traban replied as Huey felt like fainting on the spot, but didn't in fear of Riley and Jazmine never letting him live it down.

"So what now?" Jazmine asked, trying to not be so confused with their time-space smart talk.

"Well, my dear Jazmine, I would like it if you were to assist me in the healing of our dead bodies, then we'll can store them into the house until I think of how to do what I'm thinking." Traban said, confusing them more with his last words.

"Nigga, can yo ass speak plain fucking English!" Riley yelled as Traban chuckled sheepishly.

"I'm a madman, why should I?" Traban said as he knelt beside Huey's dead body and began healing it.

"Umm… I can't do very much. I've learned a lot under Captain Unohana, but that was basically how to spot injuries and administer first-aid." Jazmine said as Traban tossed her the Kido book.

"Chapter Five, Page 372." Traban said, not looking up from his work as Jazmine turned to the page.

"Whoa, this book has everything to it! It even has tips!" Jazmine said as Huey raised a brow.

With that Traban and Jazmine began healing the bodies, which was easier due to them not having Spirit Energy to heal. The bodies started breathing gently, indicating they were back to life as Riley and Huey placed each on the floor of the living room inside the Freeman house. They all sat in the living room while Traban paced the floor in deep thought. He then went up to his body, stood it up and channeled energy. The others gaped in shock when he was then forced into his body and started dancing like a madman.

"Yes! It worked!" Traban shouted as he turned to his friends to explain, "You see, I was just thinking that if I'm the soul and the Body is soul-less, then I should be able to merge with it since it was mine. I then flowed energy into my body to see if it'd work. Since it's my body, it knows my Spirit Energy and sucked me into itself to merge together once more. I believe that if I forcibly cut the flow of energy, I can leave it."

He then tried it and his body fell to the ground as if a puppet cut from its strings.

"Yes, it works!" Traban exclaimed as Huey smacked him upside the head.

"Okay that was cool, but what now?" Huey asked with a raised eyebrow as Traban rubbed the back of his head.

"We can go now, so that not a lot of time passes in this dimension until we come back to either stay or visit." Traban said as Huey sighed.

They left the house in a Garganta and arrived back on the Tousen Family Manor's roof. Traban said that they should get some rest while he did the same.

Huey and Jazmine, cuddled up in bed that night, let sleep over take them as Huey thought about what could or would happen in the future.

And trust in the fates, a lot will happen in the future.


	7. An Average Day on the Job!

**Chapter 7: An Average Day on the Job!**

* * *

><p>Huey sat in his office going through the paperwork just like he had been for two years now. Not much had changed over the past two years.<p>

He was still a Third Seat under Lieutenant Chikane Iba, sharing his position with the ignorant Enema Gomen. Squad Three still had no Captain like many of the other Squads, but they all still ran just as mostly. What did change though was the fact that Riley was now Third Seat of Squad Seven with Love becoming the new Fourth Seat while Rose had transferred to Squad Three to become Fourth Seat.

Kensei became the Fourth Seat of Squad Nine under Traban while Mashiro became Lieutenant of the Squad, which from Kensei's whining must have been _extremely _bad. Jazmine had become the Third Seat of Squad Four about a year ago after mastering all of the Healing Kido in the book she had borrowed from Traban.

Traban had stayed the Third Seat, saying that it was just too fun watching Mashiro and Kensei. Shinji stayed Fifth Seat, saying that it'd be better that way, and that he didn't want a lot of work just yet.

"Huey, I need a favor." Chikane said as she just came through the door, though Huey really didn't care.

"What is it?" Huey asked, not looking up from his paperwork.

"I need you to go to the Academy in my place. They've just had a graduating year, so they'll be wanting Seated officers to proposition the kids into Squads. I can't make it, what with all the work I have to do around here, and since you're just like a Lieutenant, I thought it'd be just perfect if you went in my place." Chikane said as Huey finally looked up from his work to give her a raised brow.

"Why me? Why not Enema?" Huey asked as Chikane gave him a look.

"Really? Enema? You want those kids to hate Squad Three, don't you? You know Enema isn't even half as smart as you, and he's an arrogant fool who thinks everyone is beneath him. Just do it; for me." Chikane said, walking out of the office while Huey sighed. Chikane popped back in and tossed something at him, which he caught easily enough. He looked at it with a raised brow and saw that it was her Lieutenant's badge.

"That's so they don't give you any trouble. If anyone questions it, just tell 'em I gave it to you." Chikane said as she gave him and thumbs up and left.

Huey sighed again as he got up from his desk and walked out of his office, locking it as he made his way toward the Academy. He had to Flash-step all the way across the Seireitei just to get there, since the two places were on opposite ends of the Seireitei. Huey arrived in the court yard of the building as the students around him jumped back in surprise. They hadn't seen him come in, and his Flash-step was even faster than their Hoho sensei. They looked at him and saw that on his arm was the Lieutenant's badge of Squad Three.

"Lieutenant, sir." The kids around him said as they bowed deeply to him, drawing unneeded attention.

"Umm… at ease, students…" Huey said awkwardly as he moved pass them all.

"Aye, nigga! Hold up!" a voice came from behind Huey, but he knew who it was since he started walking faster. In a blur his younger brother Riley appeared at his side, falling into step beside him.

"What you doing here? And why you wearing Lieutenant Iba's badge?" Riley asked as Huey groaned lightly.

"She's busy running the Squad, so she couldn't make it. She asked me to fill in for her, and gave me her badge because of my rank as Assistant Adjutant." Huey replied as Riley snapped his fingers and muttered a curse under his breath.

"Damn, I should have asked Lieutenant Kotsubaki for his badge if he's gonna go play with his son…" Riley muttered as Huey looked at him out the corner of his eye.

"Son? Lieutenant Kotsubaki has a son?" Huey asked as Riley looked at him and nodded.

"Little man's name is Sentaro, and he's beginning the Academy next month." Riley said as Huey nodded. To be honest, Jin'emon Kotsubaki, the Lieutenant of Squad Seven always seemed like the rough-and-tough type that never had kids. Huey had met the man several times before, but never once did he think the guy had a son.

"So, what are we doing here? Just writing down the names of the niggas that wanna join our Squads?" Riley asked as Huey shrugged.

"Don't know, never done this before." Huey said as they walked through the halls of the Academy, students moving out of their way and bowing while admiration danced in their eyes.

"Where's Traban? I would have thought he'd be here; Jazmine, and Cindy too." Riley said as he looked around for the three, but Huey shook his head.

"Traban didn't come, because he thought it'd be a "fun" idea if we spent the day around Lieutenant Kuna of Squad Nine along with Kensei. Jazmine's a top-level healer now, so she was made to stay at Squad Four incase anything happened since Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Yamada are here. Cindy, I don't know, but I think she's stuck at the Maggot's Nest for the day." Huey said as Riley raised a brow, but nodded all the same.

* * *

><p>"So where do we go from here?" Huey said as they stopped in front of a cross section in halls. Riley shrugged as Huey tried to find help. A student passed them by, and Huey grabbed him by his shoulder. The student looked up at them with slight fear as he laid eyes on their Zanpakuto and Huey's badge.<p>

"Where have the Captains and Seat officers assembled?" Huey asked with a bored look and an impassive tone as the boy shakily pointed down the hall he came. Huey nodded his thanks and he left the boy and walked away, Riley swiftly be his side snickering away.

"What's so funny?" Huey asked with a raised brow as Riley placed a hand over his mouth.

"Yo, you just nearly made that kid piss himself; just from talking to his ass. You a scary nigga, Huey." Riley said as Huey's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He simply took a deep breath and walked on as they stopped outside a room.

"That's definitely Captain Kyoraku's Spiritual Pressure in there." Huey muttered to himself as he slid open the door.

Inside were the Captains, Lieutenants, and Third Seats of all the other Squads. Huey and Riley strolled in as they looked around. The Head-Captain wasn't there, and neither was his Lieutenant. Not even the Third Seat was seemed to be within the room.

Squad Two Captain, Hiruzen Shihoin, was there himself as he smiled upon seeing them.

Captain Unohana and her Lieutenant were in attendance. Unohana gave them her light smile and a nod as her Lieutenant did the same.

Squad Five's Third Seat was there as well as he gave them a little wave.

Captain Ginrei Kuchiki was there along with his Lieutenant/son, Sojun Kuchiki. Ginrei nodded his greetings as his son/subordinate gave a bow of respect since both Huey and Riley were from another of the Four Great Noble Houses.

Captain Kyoraku was there with his new Lieutenant Lisa Yadomaru, who apparently was stomping him into the ground with a blush on her face.

Mashiro and Kensei were over at the opposite side of the room arguing with Squad Ten's Lieutenant holding Kensei back while Kensei tried to murder Mashiro, who was rolling on the floor whining about being hungry.

Mashiro looked over, and saw that Huey and Riley had made it. She shot up from the ground and before anyone knew it she was wrapped around Huey's leg whining.

"Huey! Kensei's being mean to his Lieutenant, and he doesn't have any snacks, and he called me annoying, and he won't go get me food, and now he's threatening to kill me! He's so _stuuupiiid_!" Mashiro whined as she clung to Huey's leg while Huey only sighed and tried to shake her off.

"I don't care, Lieutenant Kuna… you're a Lieutenant now, and you have work to do, so eat afterward and get off my leg, Mashiro." Huey said, still unable to pry her from his person as a soft chuckle came from behind him and Riley's snickering form.

They all had turned to the door as it slid open to reveal the new Captain of Squad Twelve, Kirio Hikifune. She had recently been chosen, and her Third Seat along with her. Kirio was a slender and youthful-looking woman with thin yellow-rimmed glasses, long brown hair done-up with a hairpin, brown eyes. She wore the standard Shinigami attire with her haori over it. Her Zanpakuto wasn't anywhere to be seen on her, so she must have left it.

Her Third Seat, Hiyori Sarugaki, was something else though. She looked like a ten year-old child, and Riley couldn't help but snicker at the timid girl. Hiyori was a very short, brown-eyed, blonde-haired girl who wore the standard uniform with her done in pigtails that were fairly long and hung down. She also had an overly long fang protruding from the upper left side of her mouth.

Captain Hikifune gave Huey and Riley a small smile as she walked into the room, her Third Seat trailed behind her as if she were a little kid that got lost easily. Riley's eyes followed Hiyori as Huey's eyes followed Captain Hikifune while the woman walked up to Captain Shihoin and struck up a conversation. Hiyori turned around, probably feeling their eyes on her and her Captain as she clung close to the woman. Captain Hikifune stopped talking and looked over at Huey and Riley, to whom she smiled again and nudged Hiyori in the direction of.

"Crap, that new Captain thinks we wanna talk to that little girl." Riley said in a panic as Huey raised a brow, but panicked on the inside. He really didn't want to talk to anyone, especially not some shy little girl.

"Umm… I'm Hiyori Sarugaki, and I'm the new Third Seat of Squad Twelve. It's a pleasure to meet you…" Hiyori mumbled as Huey raised a brow at her sudden appearance in front of him and Riley started snickering again as he locked his eyes on her exposed tooth. Huey jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow, but Riley only fell over laughing. The girl seemed to notice since she covered her mouth with her uniform sleeve.

"Don't mind him, he's a professional moron. I'm Huey Freeman, Third Seat and Assistant Adjutant of Squad Three. This idiot on the floor is my brother, and Third Seat of Squad Seven, Riley Freeman." Huey said as he shook Hiyori's hand, her covering her mouth with the other.

"He's laughing… at my teeth... isn't he?" Hiyori asked as Huey shrugged while giving her a bored look. No sense in lying about it…

"Yeah, he is…" Huey replied bluntly as the girl lowered her head. Huey sighed as he remembered one of Jazmine's stern talks about compassion and some other crap he needed to have toward others, "… but, it doesn't matter really. A lot of people have things that draw attention to them, or make others laugh at them." Huey added in after-thought as Hiyori looked up at him in slight wonder.

"Like your afro?" She asked timidly as Huey raised his brow while Riley started laughing even harder on the floor, clutching at his ribs as they started to hurt.

"… yeah, like my afro." Huey muttered as his eyebrow twitched. He looked at Riley and then back at little Hiyori and had a thought.

"Let me show you what to do when others laugh at you. If you can…" Huey started as he reared back his foot and began kicking the crap out of Riley, who was still laughing, but now also yelping in pain with each kick, "…you kick the crap out of their asses, because their not perfect either."

Hiyori watched as Huey continued to beat Riley until the latter finally stopped laughing and started begging for mercy. Huey would have continued even then had a white-haired man and a boy not started holding him back.

"Huey, calm down." Captain Ukitake said in amusement as he had seen the two brother pummel each into the ground far too many times to be shocked by it, "I come here, expecting to see my favorite student in a calm setting of respect and imposition, but here I find you stomping your brother's spine into the wooden floorboards."

Huey took a deep breath as he calmed himself, Riley getting up with the aid of Kensei and Captain Hikifune.

"That ain't hurt…" Riley muttered as he crossed his arms and looked defiantly into Huey's eyes. Huey shrugged off Jushiro's hold on him and crossed his arms while he rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure it didn't. The rest of your body just has to be as hard as that head of yours." Huey said with a smirk as Riley turned away from him, only to come face to face with Hiyori whom he started glaring down at.

"What the hell you lookin' at, Snaggletooth?" Riley said as Hiyori's eyes widened as she put her sleeve over her mouth, her eyes beginning to water as she remembered her years in the Academy.

Riley smirked down at her as she started to cry, but he felt bad on the inside. He didn't really mean what he had said, and he was never one to just insult someone to make them cry; it all had just sort of slipped out in his anger at his brother.

Hiyori on the other hand saw his smirk, and something inside her snapped as she thought of the way the other kids in the Academy would bully her and make her cry because of her small size, or her tooth. They would all look down on her and smirk like they controlled her. They didn't control her! She was sick and tired of people picking on her for being different! It was time to take the advice from that Huey guy; it was time to start kicking ass!

Riley's eyes widened a bit as he saw her watery eyes turn into a hard glare aimed solely on him. His eyes widened a bit more when he saw her jump into the air and rear back both of her feet in order to kick him in his face. He moved his head to the side as everyone looked on in the shock of her attacking him, but then he had an after-thought. Why not let her get a little confidence in her? He did kind of piss her off, and if Cindy heard that he didn't do anything to make it right, then he'd be sleeping alone for the next 50 years. He moved his head back into place just as her feet came forward, much to the surprise of everyone who could see the action, mainly Huey and the Captains in the room. Her feet impacted his face with twice the power of a grown man's punch as he went sailing across the room and into the wall. Huey and Captain Ukitake were at his side before he even slid down the wall as Captain Hikifune was restraining Hiyori.

"That's what you get you asshole! I'm tired of everyone and their crap about me! Your brother was right! I'm through taking things in stride! Want some more, you dumbass?" Hiyori yelled as she tried to break free of Kirio's hold on her. The other officers in the room seemed to be too confused to know what to do about the whole situation, so they just went back to normal as if nothing had happened. They all knew one thing though; do not fuck with Hiyori Sarugaki.

"Ahh… damn, that shit hurt." Riley groaned out as he held his bleeding nose. Huey merely shook his head while Captain Unohana was healing Riley's injuries.

"I never thought I'd say this twice in one year, but… I'm proud of you, Riley." Huey said as he knelt beside his brother. Riley glanced at him as he scoffed, though both of them knew he was happy by Huey being proud of him.

"I don't know what yo ass is talking about. That little Snaggletooth mutha-fucka was quick; she then fucked up my face." Riley said as Unohana and the others only shook their heads as they chuckled at Riley.

"It was nice of you to allow her to harm you, Riley. It helped raise her confidence, as well as her self-esteem. Not only that, but it helped prove to others that she has the power to back up her new position, and that she is not an easy target." Unohana said as Riley crossed his arms, closed his eyes and scoffed at the woman's words, but peeked out of one of his eyes to see if she was sincere.

"I don't know what y'all niggas talking about, Captain Unohana. She just got lucky is all. Next time, she ain't go get the drop on Lord Escobar." Riley said as Unohana finished healing his broken nose and bruises. She gave him a pat on his shoulder as she giggled at his words.

"Well, it was still a nice gesture all the same. Though, what happened to the Young… Reezy you used to go by? I had always found it quite amusing." Unohana said as she placed a finger on her chin. Riley and Huey raised a brow in unison at her comment.

"Oh… umm… Huey said I wasn't go be young forever, and then I thought of a new name. At first I was gonna go by Reaping Reezy or Reezy the Reaper, because I'm a Soul Reaper now, but then one of the servants at home called me Lord Escobar, so he could tell the difference between me and Huey, because my middle name is Escobar." Riley explained as Unohana nodded with a kind smile on her face as she got up with the help of her Lieutenant.

"All the same, its alright. You're all healed now, so in ten minutes we'll be presented to the graduating class." Unohana said as she stood beside Jushiro and a teenage boy with spiky raven-black hair and aqua-green eyes. Huey raised a brow as he gazed at the kid from the corner of his eyes. If he remembered right, the kid was now the Head of the Shiba Clan, and going to join the Academy in a few decades while he dealt with his clan's problem of its low numbers.

"Once they call us in we'll watch them for a while, and then they'll begin the graduation ceremony-" Unohana was saying until Riley sat up abruptly.

"Hold up! Graduation ceremony? We ain't get no damn graduation ceremony! All we got was our Zanpakuto, a damn Hollow cleansing trip, and then they told us to get the hell to Squad Seven's barracks to receive orders!" Riley said as Unohana sighed slightly.

"We know Riley, but these things are fairly new. If you have complains about it, then take them to Squad Five since they oversee most of the Academy. I'm sure that young Hirako would be thrilled to tell you anything you wish to know about the changes they've made here." Unohana said in her usual tone, but Huey, Riley, and Jushiro could hear the slight sarcasm in her voice due knowing the woman.

"Now as I was saying; they'll begin the graduation ceremony with the ceremonial Zanpakuto manifestation, followed by the students who will be placed in Division due to their talents or a Captain's previous choice. Then we'll be allowed to setup the brochure booths and allow the rest of the children to pick where they want to go from there." Unohana explained as they all just nodded.

"Ukitake-sensei, did you know about these changes?" Huey asked impassively as Jushiro shook his head.

"No, I had no idea, but I suppose it's not so bad. I'll have to go and speak with the Squad Five Third Seat to see what else has been changed from five years ago though…" Jushiro said with a smile as Huey nodded, glancing over at the man in question as the guy spoke to Kensei with Mashiro hanging off the Kensei's shoulder.

The Squad Five Third Seat wasn't anything special to look at. He was a large man with thick, bushy eyebrows and two long braids similar to Cindy's, but not as long. He wore a customized version of the standard uniform, which left the left side of his chest and abdomen bare. Huey in overview, found not a thing that was special about the guy, but he had worked with the guy before and known him to be a kind and educated man; even if Huey couldn't remember the man's name for the afterlife of him.

"Huey, what the hell is a brochure booth?" Riley asked as Huey rolled his eyes. His brother could be so simple-minded sometimes…

"It's like those stands the military used to setup in school." Huey said as the doors to the room slid open as an old guy walked in.

"Hello everyone, I'm the new Headmaster of the Shino Academy for the Soul Reaper Arts. I have been placed in with this year by order of the Head-Captain and the Third Seat of the Fifth Division. This year has been very pleasant for both myself and the students as we have seen dramatic improvements in both order and performance of the school. We here at the Shino Academy have been very pleased to-" The old man went on as Riley and Huey leaned back to Kensei.

"What hell, nigga? Headmaster? What's up with all the changes?" Riley asked as Huey and Kensei shrugged.

"I'm not sure. It might be just the fact that Soul Society was basically in the middle of the rebellion while we were in the Academy, or it could be that things are just improving with the times. Either way, things are getting better, and we should help it along." Kensei said as Riley scoffed.

"I'm not against shit changin', but why not when we was here? I looked at the classes before I saw Huey; did y'all know that these niggas ain't teaching level 60 and above Kido no more?" Riley said as Huey raised a brow and Kensei looked shocked.

"What?" Huey asked in slight disbelief, "Why? What would that accomplish?"

"Not sure, but I know they did. They also stopped teaching healing Kido, and a few other things that we had, too." Riley said as the other officers started filing out of the room.

"Hey, Kensei! Come on, we're moving to watch the kids graduate! Hurry up, _stuuupiiiid_!" Mashiro yelled out childishly as Kensei's eyebrow twitched and he ran after her.

Huey only shook his head as he and Riley followed after the group of elite officers. He was sure today would not be all that great…

* * *

><p>Jazmine sighed as she sat down for her downtime. She was relieved that the Fourth and Fifth Seats had finally come in to relieve her of her post for the day. Jazmine sat in the garden court yard of Squad Nine as Traban and Cindy sat with her. She was so glad both of them had found time to have a break with her. Traban had made a Fifth Seat handle the rest of the paperwork while Cindy had made her Unit members take control of the Squad duties while she handled the Maggot's Nest.<p>

"So, how goes the Maggot's Nest, Cindy?" Traban asked as Cindy sat down her tea cup and sighed lightly.

"Not going so good actually. I've been in charge of it for almost three years now, but the Squad still doesn't respect me. I've kicked their butts so many times, but the only people who seem to get that I'm good at my job are Captain Shihoin, Yoruichi, and Kisuke. The Captain left today for that graduation/recruitment thing, and now the rest of the Squad thinks it's party time… just like last year, and the year before that…" Cindy said as Traban looked at her strangely while Jazmine quirked a eyebrow.

"Is there anything we can do?" Jazmine asked as Traban gave her a look, but Cindy's eyes brightened as an idea struck her.

"Yes, there is. Traban and you can help me a lot. Just meet me at the front gate of the Squad Two barracks in ten minutes. Thanks! I owe you guys so much!" Cindy said as she flash-stepped away, leaving a confused Traban and a happy Jazmine.

"We're such good friends…" Jazmine said as Traban only sighed and nodded.

"Yeah… we're just the best…" Traban replied tiredly as he stared into his tea.

Traban jumped up slightly, his feet going in opposite directions as he kicked away two prisoners. As soon as his feet landed, three were just above his head. His hands latched out as he hit them all with powerful open-palm strikes, the last to be hit was thrown half-way across the room where Cindy was standing.

"Traban, watch where you throw them!" Cindy snapped as she dodged more random flying prisoner that just whizzed past her head, being thrown by Traban after having been beaten, with Jazmine simply watching her two friends in action, a look of awe on her face. She knew that Cindy could do things like beating up people, because just behind her was practically a mountain of unconscious bodies. She knew that Traban and Huey always used to spar against one another, but did they beat each other like Traban was beating these people or was her friend Traban holding back still?

"Sorry, but it definitely seems like everyone here have forgotten about me, and it has merely been a few years. How cruel…" Traban said, nearly whining, with his soft smile still in place as he gazed over the downed inmates.

Jazmine almost sweat-dropped at the statement, before she swung back her right fist against the face of some random prisoner that had tried to sneak up behind her, sending the poor man flying into a wall and being imprinted into it. She might not have liked to fight, but she most certainly was _not _helpless.

"Traban, you didn't exactly stand out as the Commandeer of the Detention Unit. It was only for a month to train your hand-to-hand combat skills." Cindy stated, kicking another random prisoner behind her in a place where no man should be kicked. Without even turning her head, she kicked said prisoner in the stomach, sending him flying across the room.

"Actually, it was for six months, and I must say that I ran a tight shift as the "warden" of this place." Traban said, as the prisoners backed away from his stern gaze.

"Don't move!" a gruff voice said as Cindy and Traban turned towards the source of the voice only to see some prisoner with a large nose holding Jazmine hostage, pointing a rather sharp rock at her neck. Traban raised a brow at the guy as Cindy nearly let a groan slip out.

"Listen up! I want you to get me out of here right now! If you don't, I'll…" He trailed off, as Jazmine rolled her eyes while Cindy and Traban exchanged glances, the latter shrugging as Cindy nodded to Jazmine.

"Hey, dumbass with the huge nose. You aren't very smart, are you? You took the worst of us hostage." Cindy said, having a rather cat-like grin on her face as the man in question had a rather perplexed look on his face.

"You really shouldn't have done that. It was the stupidest decision you made in your entire life…" Traban said with pity clear in his voice. The guy looked even more confused as Jazmine slumped forward.

"Huh?" The guy said looking between the three, but when his eyes landed back on Jazmine he got just what he deserved.

Cindy and Traban nearly winced at the sound of the bones of the guy's nose breaking when Jazmine rammed the back of her head into his nose, forcing the man to release her. It didn't stop there though as Jazmine then lashed out with her right foot before catching the guy in the face as everyone present heard the unmistakable loud crack of bones breaking while the man was sent sprawling to the ground.

"Don't underestimate me!" Jazmine said as she crossed her arms and stood in a dignified manner of a lady, "I may be a healer, but that doesn't make me weak, _jerk_!"

"That was her best insult? Jerk?" Traban whispered to Cindy as they stood next to each other. Cindy simply shook her head.

"It's Jazmine. That makes jerk the equivalent to dumbass, bastard, or bitch to her." Cindy whispered back as Traban chuckled lightly and Jazmine snapped her head toward them.

"And _you_, Cindy! Why did you bring us here to hurt these poor people? They already live like they're in a retirement home, there's no reason to beat them up." Jazmine said as Cindy shrugged.

"You guys can come out now!" Cindy yelled into the air as multiple members of the Stealth Force jumped out from the shadows and corners. Jazmine gave a surprised squeak as Traban simply glanced around. It looked like every higher-up Seated Member from the Stealth Force was gathered there…

"As you guys can see, my friends here are more than qualified to take my position, and one of them had it before I even did. They're also more than qualified to take your jobs as well." Cindy said as some of the members backed up slightly under her smirk.

"Cindy, what's this all about?" Traban asked calmly as Jazmine nodded beside him since she had hidden behind him when the ninjas started jumping out. He was strong, and would make the perfect shield, right?

"I wanted to prove to them that I'm not weak, and that I deserve my position. So, before I do that I needed to have all of the prisoners cleared away." Cindy explained as Traban raised a brow slightly.

"So you had us help you, and now you want us to bear witness to this spectacle?" Traban said as Cindy nodded.

"Yeah, pretty much. I also want you guys to help me with another thing as well…" Cindy said, trailing off as she and Traban shared a look before he nodded. Jazmine's brows furrowed in confusion, but she checked it off as a "ninja thing" since she had seen Cindy do it with many members of the Stealth Force.

"Then let the ass kickin' begin." Cindy said as Traban and Jazmine jumped back along a wall while a large man in a Stealth Force uniform stepped forth.

"Name's Marenoshin Omaeda… pleased to _beat _ya." the large guy said coolly as Cindy cocked an eyebrow, but grinned as she and he settled into their stances.

"Come and try…" Cindy said dismissively as Marenoshin grinned and charged at her.

This battle could take awhile…

* * *

><p>"…and so it pleases me to congratulate each and every one of you on your outstanding achievement of completing the Shino Academy, and becoming Soul Reapers this day. May you live long, and rise high to meet your destiny." Unohana said as she gave a small bow and walked off the platform in front of the gathered students. She took her seat beside Huey as the Headmaster ascendant back to the platform.<p>

"Thank you, Captain Unohana for that most gracious speech on behalf of the Head-Captain, who could not make it today. Now, we will have the ceremonial Zanpakuto release to show the graduates what they have to look forward to should they rise to such a high to achieve Shikai." The Headmaster said as many eyes widened, and not just that of the students.

Huey and Unohana exchanged looks as did many other officers who were seated in front of the children. Riley and Shunsui exchanged sharp looks as Jushiro and Kirio did as well. Kensei was wide-eyed and even Mashiro was serious at the implication that one of them would have to reveal their Shikai to Academy students.

Hiruzen frowned as he and the others discreetly glanced at the Third Seat of Squad Five, but even the man himself seemed highly confused about what was going on.

"_So if not him, then who authorized this part of the graduation ceremony_?" Huey thought as he knew the same thought was going through a lot of heads.

"Come now, officers, don't be shy. The students are very much excited to see an actual Shikai release before their very eyes; especially the Fifth year students since they shall be graduating next year." the Headmaster said as Huey raised a brow and noticed the students that were lined against the back wall. So those were the Fifth year students? He had thought they were early graduates…

"So… who wants to show these kids a magic trick?" Shunsui said as he tipped his hat over his eyes with a grin in place. Lisa sighed as she slumped into her seat, spreading her legs as the students in front of her got a clear view of her panties due to her skirt-like uniform bottoms. The male students fell out from blood loss with even a few of the girls doing the same, but nearly all the students blushed from seeing her… un-lady-like posture.

"Shunsui, why don't you and I show them this… magic trick." Jushiro said as Shunsui tipped his hat up to look at his friend and grinned.

They both appeared on the platform like they had always been standing there. The students gasped out as Huey and Riley both rolled their eyes. Shunsui put his hands on both his swords as he slowly drew them with a flamboyant toss and catch. He twirled them in his hands for a bit as Jushiro gave a serious look while his withdrew his own blade.

"Now, watch closely. The magic's about to start." Shunsui said in an amused tone as gave his "audience" a grin.

"_**All Waves, Rise now and Become my Shield**_! _**Lightning, Strike now and Become my Blade**_!" Jushiro Ukitake said as Shunsui grinned even wider.

Jushiro, after completing the incantation, grasped the single blade with both his hands. The blade then slowly transformed and began to form two blades, as the blades peeled apart, a large red rope-like chain at the base of the hilt lengthened and silver metal square charms attached to the chain began to fall until five presented themselves. The blade was now somewhat thinner than the normal Zanpakuto and the cross guard now extended up the blade for about 15cm. Up 25cm from where the cross guard was, there was a 45 degree cut on the inside of the blade where a second blade was jutting back down and parallel to the main blade. With the edge of the blade facing inward instead of outward, the blade looked very artistic and rather difficult to handle; which to Huey and everyone else present only further proved just how skilled a swordsman Ukitake was to have mastered such a uniquely designed weapon.

The students and everyone else saw in awe at the release of Jushiro's Zanpakuto. Most of them had never heard of a dual-sword Zanpakuto, with even more having never seen one. Huey and Unohana sat with small smiles on their faces as they each had seen it before, but could still marvel at it even now.

"**Sōgyo no Kotowari**" Jushiro finished as the students were stunned at his Zanpakuto.

"Law of the Twin Fish…" one of the students in the front row breathed out, but due to the silence of the room everyone heard him.

"My turn then…" Shunsui said mirthfully as he set the two swords in a cross.

"_**Flower Wind Rage and Flower God Roar, Heavenly Wind Rage and Heavenly Demon Sneer**_!" Shunsui said poetically as he pulled the two swords from their cross.

In flash, right after pulling the sword away from one another they had transformed. The two swords had become a pair of huge, heavily-curved, black Chinese scimitars with silver edges. The hilt and guard of each were still the same as they were in their sealed form, but they now sported long red tassels that dangled from the end. Despite the two swords being identical in their current state, Huey could tell that one, the dagger-short sword that Shunsui had held up before was only slightly smaller than the katana-long sword he held in his other hand. That meant that the dagger-short was in his right, and the katana-long blade was in his left.

"**Katen Kyōkotsu**" Shunsui stated poetically as he held the two swords up at his sides for all to see.

If everyone was speechless before, they were gaping like fish and wide-eyed now. One release becoming two swords, and the other release becoming two much larger pair of blades.

"Ta-da!" Shunsui said mirthfully as he and Jushiro stood in front of everyone with their swords released in all their glory. The students and officers could say nothing as many of them had never seen the release before. The only three who had were silent as well, as even they were in awe of both releases and the strong, yet peaceful stances of the two Captains.

"_Sōgyo no Kotowari _and _Katen Kyōkotsu_; these two are the only two dual Zanpakuto, and they are just as powerful as they are beautiful to look upon!" A firm, yet gruff aged voice said loudly from the open doors of the graduation room. Everyone got over their awe in time to see the Head-Captain walk in, his steps echoing through the chamber as everyone watched him walk up to Shunsui and Jushiro in a mixture of awe and silence. Many of the students had never seen the Head-Captain in person before.

"Hey there Old Man Yama! Come to join the fun?" Shunsui said as he held up a sword to show as Yamamoto shook his head and started off toward his seat.

"No, I'm much too old to show children like you any new tricks, Shunsui." Yamamoto replied as he sat.

The chamber returned to its silence until clapping was heard from the Headmaster as he looked up at the two Captains with pride. The rest of the room followed in suit as Shunsui gave flamboyant bows while Jushiro merely chuckled and scratched the back of his head with a smile on his face.

As Jushiro and Shunsui resealed their swords and sheathed them, the Headmaster came back to the podium atop the corner of the platform, "Simply marvelous! Simply _breathtaking_! Two of the Four oldest Captains showing this year it's Shikai! The honor! The privilege! The _glory_! Let this be a lesson to you of next year's graduating class; it is these people, and those that sit here I front of you that you should aspire to be. To be honorable and noble like these people here and those within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, that should be your goal next year."

The students nodded to the old man's words, but Huey found one student that seemed to have a gleam in his calculating eyes as he gazed up at Head-Captain Yamamoto. Huey blinked as he gazed at the kid, but shrugged his inner thoughts off as nothing. He'd tell Traban about them later when they spoke of the day…

"Now we will have the ceremonial Zanpakuto manifesting, led by Head-Captain Yamamoto himself. The first student; Hidan Achebe." The Headmaster called out as the manifestation device rose from the floor of the platform.

It was a long three hours before everyone had manifested their swords. Huey noted that each and everyone was different, except for two boys who had acquired the same one. Huey also noted the surprise and saddened looks on the faces of the more senior officers that sat up top along with him. Hell, even Mashiro stopped being goofy at the site of the two exact Zanpakuto held by two different children. She and Unohana beside him, almost seemed to cry when the two kids were congratulated and high-fived each other for having the same swords.

"Captain Unohana, what's with you? You seem to be a bit melancholy after those two kids were discovered to have the same exact Zanpakuto." Huey whispered to her as she sighed sadly with a nod.

"Yes, but it is because of the hardship that those two children would face due to that small fact." Unohana stated as Huey raised a brow in confusion.

"What do you mean? Is that like an omen or something?" Huey asked as Unohana shook her head.

"Not at all, because their misfortune is most definitely sure to come…" Unohana said, trailing off slightly as Huey glanced over at her while trying to be discreet.

What do you mean?" Huey asked.

"It is a law set forth back in the times of my childhood. It was decreed that no two Shinigami can hold the same Zanpakuto. They must fight for the honor of bearing the spirit, with the spirit going to the winner, and the loser being…" Unohana stopped as if her next words were too much for her to bear, "…executed." She finished as Huey's eyes went completely wide as his hands tightened on the sides of his chair to stop him from gasping out loud.

"W-what? Why? For what purpose would that serve?" Huey asked in shock as Unohana sighed sadly.

"Back in those days a terrible event occurred in which made the Spirit King _himself_ pass that law. It was something that entailed the Head-Captain and one of his childhood friends I heard rumored." Unohana said as she and Huey cut glances at the Head-Captain who was returning to his seat.

"So… two _Ryujin Jakka_, huh? I can see why no one would want that to happen…" Huey said lowly as he remembered the night he and Traban had fought against the elderly man's Shikai. Two of them, and should one turn evil…? The possibilities would have been drastic or even complete and utter destruction…

* * *

><p>"Now then, can we please have everyone that already has their assigned Division to line up in front of their commanding officers here. The officers will call out their division, name, and ranks." The Headmaster said, breaking Huey from his thoughts as the Head-Captain stood from his chair.<p>

"Captain of Squad One, Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto" Yamamoto said as he sat back down while at least ten people had come to line-up in front of him.

"Captain of Squad Two, Hiruzen Shihoin" Hiruzen said in his aged voice with a kind smile. The twenty people who came in front of him all smiled back as he sat back down. Huey sighed as he got up.

"Third Seat and Assistant Adjutant of Squad Three, Huey Freeman" Huey said impassively as he gazed down at the ten graduates that formed a perfect line in front of him and under the piercing gaze of his maroon-red eyes.

"Captain of Squad Four, Retsu Unohana" Unohana said softly as almost twenty young girls had formed a line in front of the woman staring up at her with admiration.

"Third Seat and Assistant Adjutant of Squad Five, Gengoro Onabara" The Third Seat said as Huey blinked; no wonder Huey didn't remember his name… There were barely even five students that came in front the man.

"Captain of Squad Six, Ginrei Kuchiki" Ginrei said, not even opening his eyes as he stood and gave his information while three students came in front of him.

"Third Seat of Squad Seven, Riley Freeman" Riley said with a confident smirk on his face as several students stood in line in front of him.

"Captain of Squad Eight, Shunsui Kyoraku" Shunsui said as he stood and tipped his hat, four students moving to line up in front him.

"Lieutenant of Squad Nine, Mashiro Kuna!" Mashiro chirped happily as she jumped out of her seat and spun a little. The students looked at one another before hesitantly moving in front of her. Kensei merely grumbled and rolled his eyes from his seat beside her. The poor kids had no clue of what horrors they were in for…

"Lieutenant of Squad Ten, Marino Hinamori" Marino said with a small bow as the few students smiled at him and moved.

"Third Seat of Squad Eleven, Suzuki Naira" Suzuki said with a feral toothy grin as the men all bowed their heads and decided the floor wouldn't kill them like the woman's grin was promising too…

"Captain of Squad Twelve, Kirio Hikifune" Kirio said with a light bow and a small kind smile. The students seemed okay enough with her, until they looked at Hiyori, who growled from her place next to the woman.

"Captain of Squad Thirteen, Jushiro Ukitake" Jushiro said as he gave his charming smile while the girls swooned in his line and the guys grumbled under their breath.

"Well then, that concludes those who were assigned to Squads. Now, students will break for lunch while the officers setup their brochure booths for those who have not been placed or have not yet chosen a division." The Headmaster said from the podium atop the platform stage as the students got up or out of line and left the ceremony room.

Almost five minutes later unseated officers came in with tables and banners and all sorts of things and setup them up while Huey and Riley blinked at them.

"What the hell is all this?" Riley asked loudly as Huey said the same thing under his breath.

"Third Seat Riley, sir! These are the booths, brochures, and items that you'll be using to recruit new members to our Squad, sir." One of the unseated officers of Squad Seven relayed to Riley as others did the same to their commanding officers.

"Umm… okay…" Riley said as he moved around his booth, inspecting it from every angle to be sure it was good enough. He picked up one of the brochures, just to see what was in them. He opened it, only to see a very manly picture of his Division's Lieutenant inside, one which he briefly remembered drawing.

On the other side of the small brochure were a list of questions and responses. That wasn't unusual since that was almost always in a brochure. No, it was simply the people who the responses belonged to that had gotten to Riley, one of the people being himself.

* * *

><p><strong>Recruitment for the Seventh Division<strong>:

**The Lieutenant and Third Seat both intensely believe in living by a strong sense of duty and have passed this moral characteristic on to the lower-ranking soldiers. The chivalrous men of the 7th Division respect honor above all else and in order to live by their honor, they will offer their blades and even throw away their own lives if they must to fulfill their duty. The division's atmosphere is one of passionate energy, with fine men who take pride in being well-built. They guard all of Rukongai and hope that someday, the people which they guard will join them to return the favor and help future generations**.

_**Recruitment Fair Brochure**_:

The following question and answer, plus illustration, was printed in the special issue of the Seireitei Communication headed by the Ninth Division.

**Jin'emon Kotsubaki**

_1. What kind of individuals are you seeking?_

Men who overflow with devotion.

_2. How would you describe the atmosphere around your division?_

Since I've gathered all these men together, and I say that we have a good atmosphere, I would think that it's good.

_3. What do you require of new recruits?_

Well, I'm raising my son inside of the barracks, so I guess it would be good if you liked kids.

_4. Some words for the Shinigami recruits._

I'll be waiting for men with unwavering courage. Women too!

Riley blinked as he read through his Lieutenant's responses. He remembered them from somewhere, but where…? Oh well, he'd remember eventually. More importantly was his responses.

**Riley Freeman**

_1. What kind of individuals are you seeking?_

Niggas with loyalty, and who ain't boring.

_2. How would you describe the atmosphere around your division?_

It's cool, but we need more women around, or else niggas go think we gay.

_3. What do you require of new recruits?_

Don't be boring… or a hater. Just be cool, and we'll all get along great. Also, you protect the people of Rukon with yo life; no question.

_4. Some words for the Shinigami recruits._

Come join our Squad and show these other niggas what's _really _good!

* * *

><p>Riley blanched at the blatancy of his answers. He didn't even remember doing a damn interview! The only people from Squad Nine that came around were Traban and Mashiro…<p>

"Oh shit…" Riley said as he finally remembered Traban having interviewed him and him thinking it was all a joke.

"So, this is what your Squad amounts to, huh?" Huey's voice came from on side of him as he turned to it. Huey was reading one of the Squad Seven brochures as he smirked at Riley, who narrowed his eyes and tried to take it away.

"Nigga, put that back." Riley said as Huey shook his head and put the brochure in his sleeve for later.

"No, I think I'll keep it. A souvenir for all those times your stupidity has cost you." Huey said as Riley crossed his arms and went back behind his booth to sit down.

"You know what? It don't even matter, because niggas still go join us, and we still better than Squad Three any damn day." Riley said as Huey rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Sure…" Huey said as Riley smacked his lips, and leaned forward.

"Let me see one of y'all brochures then." Riley said as Huey sighed and slipped one out of his other sleeve while Riley simply raised an eyebrow.

"Nigga, how much shit do you keep in them damn things?" Riley asked indignantly as Huey chose to not answer him.

There was no picture on the brochure, just a blank space. Riley scoffed as he locked eyes with Huey before he went back to reading the brochure.

* * *

><p><strong>Recruitment for the Third Division<strong>:

**Rule breakers are not tolerated in the Third Division and Third Seat Freeman will make certain that members caught breaking the rules will be strictly punished. Members of the division are also encouraged to always use proper greetings as this is the first foundation of a relationship. Besides that, the division offers a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere as Lieutenant Iba enjoys the slow and steady flow of a well run squad**.

_**Recruitment Fair Brochure**_:

The following question and answer, plus illustration, was printed in the special issue of the Seireitei Communication headed by the Ninth Division.

**Chikane Iba**

_1. What kind of individuals are you seeking?_

Those who can follow orders, and not make a racket.

_2. How would you describe the atmosphere around your division?_

It's peaceful and quiet since everyone in the division knows the punishment for disturbing the peace… or one of my naps.

_3. What do you require of new recruits?_

Well, I'm raising my son inside of the barracks, so I guess it would be good if you liked kids. Also, that you not make a racket when my son or I take one of our naps.

_4. Some words for the Shinigami recruits._

If you want, you're welcome anytime.

**Huey Freeman**

_1. What kind of individuals are you seeking?_

Men who uphold the law, who can offer up everything for the sake of the division, and who will devote themselves to their practice.

_2. How would you describe the atmosphere around your division?_

If you join, then you'll know.

_3. What do you require of new recruits?_

To aim high, yet know their place.

_4. Some words for the Shinigami recruits._

Don't be shy and join us.

* * *

><p>Riley looked over the paper again before crumbling it up and tossing it over his shoulder with a mocking yawn. Huey's eyebrow twitched as Riley stood up and stretched.<p>

"Boring! That was boring as hell nigga. Damn, "Don't be shy"? Really, Huey; that's gay." Riley said as Huey had to hold his arm down to keep him from slapping Riley upside his head.

"Today is gonna be a long day…" Huey thought as he heard a bell and saw some of the students from earlier coming back in. He sighed as he walked over to his own booth, intent on getting some good recruits for his Squad.

* * *

><p>"Winner… again, Third Seat McPhearson!" Jazmine said with a sigh as Traban dragged yet another unconscious Stealth Force member out of the ring. Cindy only stood in her spot, stretching lightly as she smiled broadly.<p>

"Come on y'all, this can't be all you guys got." Cindy said as she looked at the crowd of people who remained.

"Then allow me to challenge you, Cindy." A lazy, yet curious voice came as a man moved through the others.

"Then bring it… Kisuke." Cindy said as Kisuke moved to the front of the crowd and into the ring.

"The match between Third Seat McPhearson and Fourth Seat Urahara is about to begin." Jazmine said as both people got into fighting stances, though Kisuke's was less relaxed.

"Are both contestants ready?" Jazmine asked as they both gave a nod.

"Then… let the match… begin!" Jazmine said as she Flash-stepped out of the ring and back to Traban's side.

Cindy made the first move, running forward to close the gap. She ran up to him ready to hit him with an empty strike. Kisuke held his right arm out in front of him defensively, knowing that she was just as strong as he was if not more. Cindy, instead, placed both palms on the ground and swung on them to her left side, delivering a roundhouse kick to Kisuke's back. Kisuke involuntarily was made to dive forward upon contact, but caught himself and flipped over, standing straight up when he landed, and continued to flip away from her as she straightened up herself.

Kisuke ended his acrobatics as Cindy ran up to him and tried to hit him just about anywhere. She found it wasn't that easy since Kisuke was just as flexible and agile as a girl was, though her constant attacks kept him on the defensive which was good.

With Cindy's attacks and being so close to him, Kisuke attempted to get a few hits on her by throwing some punches and kicks in. It was going fine, but not good enough for his tastes or plan, so he added something extra when he got his right arm right in front of Hinata's face.

"What the-"

"Boom" Kisuke said as his open palm glowed red and a blast of energy fired off in her face, hitting her at point-blank range. The force of the attack sent her flying back far enough that she almost collided with the wall behind, landing on her stomach.

"Oh crap, please tell me I didn't kill her. Riley will kill me." Kisuke told himself quietly as Traban shook his head and Jazmine looked worried.

"T-that was a dirty t-trick, Kisuke…" Cindy said as she painfully struggled to get up, her arms and legs protesting her movements. Her head pounded and she was certain that if she hadn't covered her face with Reishi right when she had, then her head could have been blown off.

Using as much strength as she could, Cindy pushed herself onto her feet as soon as she saw Kisuke run to keep fighting her.

"_**Go-Ken Kai**_!" Cindy said before striking Kisuke with many blows, looking like normal punches and palm-strikes would. But there was a big difference in them, and Kisuke could tell as he slid back under the power each blow had.

Kisuke, having narrowed his eyes as she continued her assault, tried deflecting her blows, but was having little luck. It was only thanks to the multitude of matches she had faced that was keeping her from striking at him even faster. He had hoped to use her fatigue against her, but it seemed that even with it she was a match for his current level. Should he kick things up a notch, or should he just quit and continue hiding his true skill?

He didn't have much time to devote to the question once he felt his feet being swept from underneath him. He tried to recover by placing his hand to the ground, but Cindy only countered the movement by lowering her body even further and swiping the hand from under him too. She didn't stop there either as she spun once again, this time moving upward and kicking his midair body away from her and into the wall.

Kisuke lay in the imprint his body had made with a goofy expression on his face. Oh well… better luck next time…

"Winner… again, Cindy! Next challenger please." Jazmine said as she flash-stepped to Cindy's side and held up her hand like a champion would.

"Allow me…" a girl's voice came from the shadowed corner, and out the corner stepped Yoruichi. Traban looked at her and gave a small smile as they locked eyes.

"Hello… Yoruichi…" Traban said as he refused to look away from her.

"Traban…" Yoruichi said with a slight edge in her voice as his smile dimmed slightly. So… she was still mad…

"Hey, don't make lovey-dovey eyes with him. I'm your opponent." Cindy said as she drank the bottle of water Jazmine handed her and wiped her sweat away with a small hand towel.

"Of course… I'll just have to prove I'm the _best_ then." Yoruichi said, only blushing slightly at the remark Cindy had made. Traban gave her another small smile as she refused to look at him once she locked eyes with Cindy.

"Well then… let the final match begin! Third Seat McPhearson versus Fourth Seat Yoruichi Shihoin. Begin!" Jazmine said as she and the two opponents disappeared via Flash-step, though at least Jazmine reappeared beside Traban while Cindy and Yoruichi only reappeared every ten seconds in their high-speed battle.

* * *

><p>"There you go, kid. Now you're all signed-up for the greatest Squad all up in Soul Society; Squad Seven." Riley said as the kid nodded and ran off to tell his friends that he was now a "real nigga", whatever that meant.<p>

"Polluting the minds of the young with your thrash already, Riley?" Huey said as he walked up to Riley's booth at the end of the recruiting time.

"Ah, shut the fuck up, nigga. Yo ass just hating, and nobody likes a hater, Huey." Riley replied as he left the booth to his unseated Squad members to deal with. Both of them walked off to where the academy's courtyard to enjoy some sun as they talked.

Many people believed that Huey and Riley couldn't stand each other, but the truth was that they just didn't see eye-to-eye. Huey said it was mainly because of their different perceptions of the world and what was important, and Riley agreed with him. They loved each other as brothers normally would, but when it came to some things or just plain boredom, they annoyed each other to no end.

"So, how's Squad Three goin'? That nigga with the fat head still bitchin'?" Riley asked as he sat against a wall while Huey stood up leaning against it as they watched the children.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter anymore. He's just always gonna complain about me, so there's no point in caring." Huey said with a shrug as Riley scoffed.

"See, that's why you gay, Huey. I would have kicked that nigga's ass, and if I ever hear him bitch about me again, I'd remind him of that ass-whuppin' by reenacting that mutha-fucka." Riley said as Huey shook his head, a small amused smile on his face as he did.

"Yeah, and then you'd be arrested by Cindy for attacking an officer." Huey said as Riley suddenly grinned.

"Cindy can arrest me anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Misses Officer, Misses Officer, please can ya get these handcuffs off of ma." Riley said as he began singing one of those dirty songs about having sex with a female officer from the World of the Living.

"I'm surprised you remember that from when we were alive." Huey said as he himself could barely remember much of his life now-a-days from back then. Every day he felt his memories of the Human World slipping and fading away, but he still remembered people and places, just not everyday life in general.

"Nope, I went to the World of the Living a few days ago and picked up some CDs, and some other stuff." Riley admitted with a smirk as Huey shook his head. He figured as much.

* * *

><p>Huey was about to continue his conversation with Riley when he looked back and saw some kid sneaking out of the assembly hall they had all been gathered in for the graduation ceremony. The kid wore the standard blue Academy uniform, so the kid was obviously a boy then. He had messy brown hair and Huey could just barely make out the gleam from the boy's black frame glasses. The boy seemed to stop running in one direction and then started toward Huey's direction. Huey looked past the boy and saw that Jushiro-sensei and Head-Captain Yamamoto were coming from the direction the boy pulled back from.<p>

Huey turned and looked causally on the wall as he sent Riley a nudge and look. Riley causally looked like they were engaging in deep conversation as the boy passed them by at a very brisk pace, almost running. Huey glance at the kid from the corner of his eyes just as Riley did and saw that he had a light peach complexion, and brown eyes. He seemed to be quite annoyed at something as his frown sat naturally upon his features. In his hands were several of the brochures from the recruitment. Huey raised a brow as he could tell that the kid had probably grabbed one of each from every Squad.

Huey merely shook his head as the kid walked by and disappeared around another corner.

"What did you all think of the kid?" Huey asked as Head-Captain Yamamoto, Ukitake, Kyoraku, and his friends were already behind him as the kid left.

"He seemed rather eager about joining a Squad if he grabbed so many brochures." Jazmine said as Cindy crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. Traban did the same, but raised a brow instead as he leaned against the wall aside Huey.

"Yes, but he seemed to have disobeyed rules when he took those things. I shall let it go this time around, but I wish to know who that young man was." Yamamoto said as Jushiro nodded.

"That was young Sosuke Aizen, Sensei. He's a Fourth Year that was allowed to attend the beginning ceremony due to his outstanding performances in his classes. Some of the teachers are saying that he's in a league with us and our two students here. I wanted to come by and watch him sometime, but with my illness…" Jushiro said, trailing off as Shunsui patted his back.

"Don't worry, Captain Ukitake. I'll be sure to visit, and see just how good this kid really is." Traban said, sounding as kind as ever, but there was something in his voice that made Huey look up at him and the others as well.

Traban had his arms crossed and was stern-faced as he kept his hardened eyes locked on the corner the Aizen boy had disappeared around. Jazmine seemed to be in thought as she looked at Traban as well, and so were the others. Cindy looked worst-for-wear as she glanced from Traban to the corner. The others were probably thinking the same thing he was.

"_What has him so interested in that kid? Is the kid a threat or something? I'll ask him later when we talk over today_." Huey thought as he stretched and kissed Jazmine, Riley doing the same with Cindy.

"C-murp, what the hell happened to you?" Riley asked as he held her at arm's length. Her hair was wild, not in its usual ponytail. Her uniform were wrinkled and dirt-ridden.

"Oh, nothing just-"

"Asserting your authority?" Hiruzen finished in an amused tone as Cindy's cheek tinted pink.

"How did you know?" Cindy asked as Hiruzen chuckled.

"I'm an old ninja, Cindy. I have many ways of getting information, one of them being the fact that an hour ago one of the Stealth Force members came to me with a bloody nose and broken arm." Hiruzen said as the pink on Cindy's cheeks spread to her whole face.

"Think nothing of it, Cindy. I've already ordered the entire Squad and Stealth Force to Squad Four to be healed and checked on. You and I should be heading there now for our own examinations. Come along, Cindy." Hiruzen said, sparing a single glance at the corner Aizen had turned before disappearing in a flash-step. Cindy left as well, and shortly afterward Jazmine had to go, remembering that she would be needed to give check-ups.

"Well, see you niggas later. I gotta get a report drawn up for the Lieutenant, and I got shit to do. Peace!" Riley said before leaving as well. Huey sighed as the Head-Captain, Kyoraku, and Ukitake left soon after.

"Hmm, where are Kensei and Mashiro? I haven't seen them." Traban mused as Huey shrugged.

"I think they killed each our hours ago." Huey said impassively as Traban gave him a playful shove and a smile.

"That's rude to say. Where are your manners?" Traban joked in a mock-scolding tone.

"In my other pants." Huey stated in complete monotone, though the small smile on his face couldn't be hidden.

"_Stuuupiiiid_! You're so _stuuupiiiid_ Kensei." A childish voice giggled out as Traban sighed and shook his head, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"Get back here you annoying little brat! I'll so you stupid when I bash your head in!" Came the angry retort followed by more girlish giggles. Huey placed his head in his hands as he let out a small groan of annoyance.

"A hand full aren't they?" Traban said amusingly as Huey shot him a weak glare. Traban only laughed as Huey started rubbing his temples in order to fight off the growing headache.

"Yes." Huey shot back as Traban only smiled at him before his face turned serious.

"Kensei, Mashiro, to me." Traban said seriously as two blurs appeared in kneeling positions behind him. Huey sputtered in surprise for a second before regaining his composure quickly.

"Yes sir." Both said as Traban turned to them and then back at Huey.

"I command a certain amount of respect in my Squad. I keep Mashiro in line, and Kensei from blowing his top. If I had Bankai, then I would be the Captain of our Squad in title, instead of how I am now in everything but name and title." Traban said as Huey nodded, knowing that it was the same with him and Chikane back in Squad Three.

"Yeah, it's sort of the same in my Squad, but I don't want to be a Lieutenant just yet, and Chikane is just like a Captain." Huey replied as Traban nodded.

"Well, I'm going, Huey. I'll see ya in a week. Tell the others that I'll be sleeping in the Squad Nine barracks tonight." Traban said as he turned from Huey and gave him a wave. Huey returned the gesture before heading towards tomorrow's mission. Though neither flash-stepped away without first glancing at the corner the Aizen kid had gone behind. Something was off about that kid, but neither knew what.

Though one thing was clear to Huey, and all the others, as they thought over Sosuke Aizen. This Aizen kid gave them all the chills for some reason, and only bad things came about when a person gave them those…


End file.
